[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 116 (Thursday, September 15, 2005)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1880]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                IN RECOGNITION OF THE YEAR OF THE MUSEUM

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                          HON. BETTY McCOLLUM

                              of minnesota

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, September 15, 2005

  Ms. McCOLLUM of Minnesota. In 2006, American museums will celebrate 
100 years as a profession with a prominent place in U.S. society. The 
recognition of 2006 as the Year of the Museums will allow Congress and 
the American people to have the opportunity to formally recognize and 
celebrate the many contributions our Nation's museums continue to make 
to our culture and life.
  Thank you to Congresswoman Slaughter and Congressman Shays, co-chairs 
of the Congressional Arts Caucus, for taking the leadership in 
introducing this resolution. As a member of the Congressional Arts 
Caucus and of the National Council on the Arts, as well as a 
Representative for a Congressional District rich in the arts and 
humanities, I am proud to be a cosponsor.
  Museums encourage the participation in and appreciation of the arts 
and humanities. They connect citizens to increasingly diverse world and 
help to preserve a community's culture and history.
  Museums also play a critical role in providing children and youth 
with opportunities that enhance their education in arts and humanities, 
by providing hands-on learning experiences. Relationships between 
museums, schools, colleges and universities, and other community 
organizations ensure that children, youth, students, and adults all 
have access to objective and educational information that enhance and 
broaden our understanding of the world we live in.
  Without museums, the historical preservation of, as well as the 
display of and care for, artistic pieces, artifacts, and living 
specimens would not be possible. Museums exist to connect people with 
art, history, and culture.
  In my District, more than a dozen museums contribute to the 
historical preservation and artistic expression of their communities, 
including the American Museum of Asmat Art, the Bell Museum of Natural 
History, the Como Zoo and Marjorie McNeely Conservatory, the Dakota 
County Historical Museum, the Gibbs Museum of Pioneer and Dakota Life, 
the Goldstein Museum of Design, the Jackson Street Roundhouse Museum, 
the Minnesota Children's Museum, the Minnesota History Center's Museum, 
the Minnesota Museum of American Art, the Minnesota Wing Commemorative 
Air Force Museum, the New Brighton History Center Museum, the Schubert 
Club and Museum of Musical Instruments, the Science Museum of 
Minnesota, and the Twin City Model Railroad Museum.
  Our communities count on our nation's museums, as well as our art and 
humanities organizations, to help educate, engage, and delight our 
citizenry and to strengthen our local economies. It is with great pride 
and appreciation for the role of museums in our communities that I 
submit this statement for the official United States Congressional 
Record.

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