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Meandering Investigations Part III Historic


by turfgrrl


May 19th, 2008 · 24 Comments

A rumor circulating town recently was that the Norwalk Museum could not be used for the annual gathering of Friends of the Norwalk Museum. According to an email from Historic Commission Chairman David Parks, this is not true.

“They should plan in advance by asking the Historical Commission for approval at our monthly meeting. There is no change in this policy from prior years. Whether it was the Curator or the Friends, approval was needed for items such as meetings, exhibits, fundraisers, art shows, etc.”

Park went on to explain how the new  “Norwalk Museum Management Policy & Ethics” clears up the procedures for using the Museum, and how permission can be obtained. He stated that the guidelines were available to anyone who was interested.

Tags: History · Norwalk

24 Responses so far ↓ “Meandering Investigations Part III Historic”



  • 1 anonymous // May 19, 2008 at 11:12 am

    It’s all too formal nowand Mr. Park doesn’t sound helpful, simply bureaucratic. Since when do we need a new “Norwalk Museum Management Policy and Ethics” book (is it available on line?) The manual was only put into effect in an attempt to deal with the Sue Gunn problem without really dealing with it.

  • 2 Anonymous // May 19, 2008 at 11:18 am

    I tried to get into the Museum during posted hours on Saturday and it was closed. I will try again today but don’t expect that I’ll be able to. The last four or five times I have, it hasn’t been open. I want a City job that I don’t have to show up for.

  • 3 Anonymous // May 19, 2008 at 11:19 am

    Does the public need advance approval to gain entry to the Museum?

  • 4 Anonymous // May 19, 2008 at 11:47 am

    It is improbable that any public museum would have irregular hours.

  • 5 Anonymous // May 19, 2008 at 3:18 pm

    OK. I tried again this afternoon to get into the “Museum” but as I expected, the doors were locked and the lights were out despite posted open hours of 1-5pm. Shall we see how many days running the so-called Curator chooses not to come to work?

  • 6 What Museum? // May 19, 2008 at 3:42 pm

    MUSEUM, you mean like a historical museum of Norwalk type stuff? Museum, I didn’t know we had a Norwalk Museum. You sure we are talking about this Norwalk, Norwalk CT? If you are sure that we really do have a museum here in Norwalk, why not put a sign on the door, and tell the tourists to take a picture of the closed and locked door.

    You sure we are talking about Norwalk, Connecticut?

  • 7 norwalker // May 19, 2008 at 6:11 pm

    Dave Park needs to know that calls and messages were left at the NM for I believe 2 weeks or more previous to the meeting and no return calls were received from the disappearing curator. The museum doesn’t work - when are people going to understand that. It is only a viable, living, orderly, clean museum when the Friends are there, and I am not a member of the Friends, but a supporter as I have seen how the museum is falling apart over the years.

  • 8 Dawn // May 19, 2008 at 9:20 pm

    I ahve asked several times, doesn’t seem any one knows, but i will try again.

    Does anyone know what is in that museum???

  • 9 nobody // May 20, 2008 at 7:22 am

    To see the collections, click

    http://www.norwalkct.org/norwalkmuseum/

  • 10 Joe Bowman Sr // May 20, 2008 at 10:05 am

    Hell, if the stuff is recorded on line, what do we need a museum for. Shut the damn useless place down, throw everything into a dumpster in put it in the cellar of City Hall, and rent the empty museum space out.

    That would be just about what we have now. When the hell is the Mayor going to straighten this mess out. He cannot keep his head buried in the sand, hoping this will go away.

    Looks like business as usual in Norwalk.

  • 11 Anonymous // May 20, 2008 at 12:14 pm

    The fact is that the curator told the Friends’ President that the Norwalk Museum “could not be used” for the Museum’s 35th annual membership meeting. Ms. Gunn stated that it was not her decision, but Mr. Park’s and he said that “the Friends’ board would have to seek permission for use of the Museum from the Historical Commission (HC).” Who is being disingenuous? Who has any credibility? The Friends have had their annual meeting at the museum for over 3 decades on the same Sunday in May, and never had to get “permission” from the HC. The curator was notified as a courtesy a month ago. The Friends’ membership, benefactors and donors are well aware of the museum closings and deterioration of the museum, and the meeting was held elsewhere.

    Norwalk’s Municipal Historian, John Cuneo, and Manice deForest Lockwood (the Museum’s benefactor) formed The Friends to operate, fundraise, staff, and care for the Lockwood collections, so as not to use any taxpayer money. The Friends have been putting on exhibits and programs since 1973, and predate the HC, only giving them a report as a courtesy, like the Historical Society (HS) and the Lockwood Mathews Mansion Museum (LMMM). The HC has never operated any of the above mentioned museums and none of these non profits “report to the HC.” Does the HC give “permission” to the HS or the LMMM for their meetings or events? No. Who benefits from this constant harassment of the Friends? Certainly not the Museum or the public.

    The Friends’ are members of the American Association of Museum Volunteers (AAMV) and follow AAM guidelines. The Friends, carry the insurance at the Norwalk Museum, and have always opened and staffed it for events (no city overtime) and reported these events to the HC. What organizations have their meetings or events anymore at the Museum? None. When is the museum open to the public? Certainly not during the posted hours.

    The museum was closed last weekend, last week and this past weekend, making the denial of the Friends’ meeting just more harassment. The Museum was closed for weeks and months at a time last year, the year before, the year before that going all the way back to 2000. Will it be closed this weekend also? Shouldn’t the HC be keeping the Museum open or keeping track of their staff instead of harassing the Friends who for 35 years have invested hundreds of thousands of dollars and hours in the Museum without asking for a penny of taxpayer money?

    Terri Tylo, Secretary
    Friends of the Norwalk Museums, Inc.

  • 12 anon // May 20, 2008 at 3:54 pm

    Isn’t it time for Ms. Gunn’s annual 6 month leave?

  • 13 norwalker // May 20, 2008 at 5:01 pm

    She’s working on it….

  • 14 Anonymous // May 20, 2008 at 5:19 pm

    Anybody try to get into the Museum today? Maybe she’s already in Florida.

  • 15 Anonymous // May 20, 2008 at 5:38 pm

    She was at the museum today but it was closed to the public.

  • 16 Gunn is history // May 20, 2008 at 5:43 pm

    Oh if that were only true!

  • 17 barnstorm // May 20, 2008 at 5:56 pm

    How about we do a little moving around? The Friends can have their office at the Museum and we can shift Ms Gunn’s office to a more appropriate locale…

    Like the executive suites at 93 East Avenue.

  • 18 Anonymous // May 20, 2008 at 8:02 pm

    number 9 - I went to the link for the museum and I was quite disturbed to find the picture of the curator, who must be pushing 60 years of age, dressed up like Raggedy Ann. This is not a childrens museum, and you can see how frightening she could be to children. Is this what the taxpayers are paying 60 K plus benefits a year for? No supervision, no exhibits, and the place is closed all of the time. It’s a waste of our money!

  • 19 Anonymous // May 20, 2008 at 8:23 pm

    Not only that, the photo of her dressed up as Raggedy Ann was taken at the Switch Tower Museum, not the Norwalk Museum.

  • 20 old timer // May 20, 2008 at 10:16 pm

    Speaking of Manice DeForest Lockwood, whatever ever happend to the building next to the health dept that his estate paid to build, as a Norwalk Museum.? That is where the museum was for years when Ralph Bloom was the curator. Who owns it now ? Is it occupied ?

  • 21 Anonymous // May 21, 2008 at 9:20 am

    #19 I bet that the Norwalk Museum was closed while she was at the Switxh Tower Museum dressed in d-Rag!

  • 22 Norwalker // May 21, 2008 at 8:14 pm

    #20, the city stillowns the building but it’s leased to Keystone House.

  • 23 old-timer // May 21, 2008 at 9:12 pm

    Can they do that ? Didn’t the lockwood family fund the building for one limited purpose, and put restrictions on use ?

  • 24 Anonymous // May 22, 2008 at 4:54 pm

    I think it is a trust, but who trusts the city?

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