The MAC

 Audrey

Since late February I have been working as a volunteer for the Northwest Museum of Arts and Culture (affectionately known as "MAC") in Spokane. It's no Smithsonian, but it's still interesting--they just opened their centennial exhibit, "100 Stories," a few days before I started. 

My job is to stand around for four hours every Wednesday and ask people if they like what they see, and give them more information if they want it (which they never do). I also make MAC buttons for visitors and facilitate the use of the button-maker if visitors want to make their own button.

A favorite with the kids is story #72, which mentions the blizzard of '09 that was apparently big here and allows you to write on the black parts of the wall with a chalkboard marker. Miraculously, the most inappropriate things I've seen on the board are "butts" (courtesy of Marta, actually) and "poop," written in flowing cursive handwriting.

In the back of one of the galleries is a display of clothing from a few different eras in Spokane history--it's probably one of my favorite of the exhibits.

It's weird to think about, but except for Native American history, there's actually nothing in the Spokane area dating back further than 1805 when Lewis and Clark came through the area. Compared to even Boston, Spokane is a little bitty baby city.

My absolute favorite story and accompanying item is an old missile-launch console from the Cold War that was actually in an underground facility somewhere in Spokane. As of a few weeks ago, it even lights up. *_*

Alan the Security Guy tried to get me to press the red button...when I didn't, he went down and pressed it for me to demonstrate the loud noise it makes. I stayed up on the balcony and took a video from a safe distance that is now inexplicably sideways and I'm not sure how to fix it so I won't post it.

Speaking of Alan the Security Guy:

He swears he was smiling behind his hand.

After the first 12 hours of volunteering, he is the only interesting thing left in the gallery (actually, halfway through my first four-hour shift he was the only interesting thing). Arts and culture becomes dull quickly...

We talk about what we've been up to the past week and I tell him about our adventures and plans for travel. Alan grew up here in Spokane area and most of his family still lives in the NW too, so he's a home-grown kinda guy. He fishes and wants to buy a fishing shack with a buddy out on the coast near Seattle.

The exterior of the MAC is almost more interesting than what it houses--multiple sculptures dot the campus, and the outside is deceiving. It may look small, but there are multiple floors underground and the galleries stretch out beneath the lawn and parking lot.

Even if it does get dull once in a while, I'm going to miss the MAC and the people who run it when we roll out of town next month. <3