Developing Story Stops
Story Stop outside of T&A Vintage.
We have had a few programs start and come into fruition. 2022 was an exciting year for REM and we are even more excited to create and develop more programs and content in 2023! REM is a small team and the idea of Story Stops started as a cabinet of curiosities similiar to “little library” to displays of our collection. The conversation around the coffee table developed to displaying stories related to the neighborhoods that they would be in. With reviewing out Strategic plan and input from our board, we realized we could do so much more with this idea. We decided to add a bench to welcome people to sit and stay a while. This is when the team solidified the program name, “Story Stops”- similar to a bus stop, although for it to be a place to take in the neighbourhood, with its unique history and peoples stories.
We developed the design to have a comfortable bench, and addition to the display case, have a planter to contain local Saskatchewan flora and fauna. Our Story Stops were installed in January, so due to Saskatchewan’s lovely winter, we will be planting in the Spring. The display case is designed to be visible through any direction so that a community member could walk towards the bench and be able to see a variety of the objects displayed from different angles. The front of the case includes a vintage frame from our collection to evoke a connection to museum displays and encompassing the idea of an Ecomuseum; “your museum without walls”. We were lucky to have connections with Robinson Residential to complete a design for our construction team to easily create and build everything (but the hardware) from hand.
We prepared the frames by taking them apart, sanding of the original paint and varnish, then covering it with paint and exterior varnish.
Months before the install, I had curated objects from our collection. This was an interesting journey, as when the museum changed to a ecomuseum outline, we deaccessioned majority of the collection by 2019. Inspiration came from the stores that were hosting the story stops; Lakeview Fine Foods, known in the neighbourhood as a great local grocery store that holds many unique products - some of which are hard to find anywhere else in the city. This created the inspiration of a general stores curation. This was an easy decision because of the deep history that general stores have in founding many towns in Saskatchewan, and the REM’s collection still contains many objects that would be found in general stores throughout different decades. The second curation was inspired by womens craft. This is a topic that I have found interesting ever since taking a Women in Art History class. When first doing a reorganization of the collection in early 2022, we were finding amazing handmade objects like sewing, knitting, and craft, and when we dug into the accession documents we were able to confirm that the objects were handmade by women. The inspiration for the curation came from the beautiful objects and the creativity within T&A Vintage.
Photo of install outside of Lakeview Fine Foods.
The install day was very stressful- three different runs to the hardware store for the right size screws, amongst other small tinkering. We were worried about the weather as the previous week Regina had a snow storm, but It was an exciting day. We were lucky to get a beautiful winter day to be outside installing the benches. We had many curious eyes walk past the benches, looking on to figure out what was being installed. The day ended with hot tea and coffee on the T&A Vintage couches, and everyone proud of the work completed.
It has been lovely casually driving past and always seeing a new person either looking in and reading about the display, or sitting comfortably on the bench. Seeing that, we know that we have started making a difference in the community setting. We are so excited to start sharing neighbourhood stories within the display cases. Currently we have done a few interviews with neighbourhood members, and we are still completing more. We have been sharing them on social media and complinging them on our MemoryKPR page. Memory KPR also allows for anyone to contribute to the stories, so we will be able to get contributions about the neighbourhood from the people interacting with the bench. In the spring, the bench will be updated with stories, and we are in the midst of getting funding for more story stops to be put in other neighbourhoods, and hopefully be able to get an intern to design their own display for a story stop!
Overly, it was an amazing experience seeing an idea become a tangible thing out in the public. This started as a drawing on an ipad, and is now a physical bench to sit on. We are proud of the work we’ve completed so far on Story Stops, and we are so excited to develop more in different neighbourhoods and make relationships with the people in those neighbourhoods!
Photo from Tenbob Construction “cleaning” the inside of the cases.