Karshner Museum to Reopen in Fall 2014

From the Puyallup School District: 

With a continued focus on the alignment of state grade-level expectations during field trip visits, a celebration of the many cultures represented in our community, and clear integration of The Arts in education, the Paul Karshner Museum will be transformed into the “Center for Culture and The Arts at Karshner Museum” and reopen in fall of 2014. 

The purpose of the center will be to fulfill Dr. Karshner’s vision of providing students an opportunity to learn about the world’s diverse cultures through participatory education. Through the integration of visual arts, drama, movement, storytelling, music, and critical thinking strategies, students and teachers will experience history and culture through field trips, teacher workshops, and special events. 

“It is with great enthusiasm that the district shares these plans with the community,” said Brian Fox, executive director of communications, information, and arts education.

For 83 years, the Karshner Museum has been a teaching museum owned and operated by the Puyallup School District with the purpose of providing hands-on activities that encourage participation education for students, teachers, parents and the community. Over the years, different displays have featured some of the more than 10,000-plus artifacts and specimens in the collection.

The museum was founded by Dr. and Mrs. Warner Karshner as a lasting memorial for their son, Paul, who died from polio in 1924. 

It was Dr. Karshner’s wish that Puyallup school children would have a quality museum experience by being able to see and touch artifacts from far off places and locally as a way  to inspire and create an interest for life-long learning.

The mission of the Karshner Museum has been to preserve and use the collection and be a leader in participatory education by helping students learn about natural sciences, the world’s diverse cultures, and our history while exploring the future.

In an effort to better align the district’s new social studies curriculum with the experience at the museum, the facility was closed for most of the 2012-13 school year so that exhibits and materials could be overhauled and redesigned.  As the planning for redesign continued, it became evident that the museum’s facility should be repurposed.

During the 2013-14 school year, the museum will be closed, remodeled, and reopen in the fall of 2014 as the Center for Culture and The Arts at Karshner Museum.

Learn more on the Karshner Museum web site and Karshner Museum Facebook page.