Attendees
Joan Salome-Rodriguez (Facilitator), Joseph Alexiou, Katia Kelly, Michael Killian, Louis Kleinman, Peter Reich.
Guests: Aaron Kaufman (Gowanus Remediation Team), Irene Baker (National Grid).
Michael and Rachel started an Instagram account to get eyes on what we have. It is up and running at https://www.instagram.com/gowanus_archaeology/. Please follow!
Michael needs more material. Joan will send him the photos she and Mary used for the exhibit. Aaron will get the clearance for posting GRT material to the account. Joan and others will look for old Gowanus photos we have and share with Michael so he can post to the account, too.
The storyboard is not yet finalized. Aaron to get an ETA on completion and will ask if it can be used freely by this CAG group and/or on the Instagram. (Just a note, we may want to save it for events – I did not bring this up at the meeting).
Our joint endeavor with Johnny Thornton (Arts Gowanus), Sasha (Proteus Gowanus), Andrea (GCC), and Emily (also of Arts Gowanus) went over great. Lots of interest and foot traffic.
Continue to conduct curated exhibition planning. Peter will follow up with Johnny Thornton to see what is going on in terms of opportunities for more exhibits.
We still need to formulate a strategic business plan. Getting an exhibit together is not really enough and we don’t have expertise. Joan will reach out to Brooklyn College Museum Studies Program and to Pratt’s archaeology team to see if there is any opportunity there. Maybe also the reopening of the Union Street Library on Clinton Street.
Aaron clarified what items are actually artifacts and which are not based on GRT’s definitions, as follows.
Objects of Local Interest are defined as meeting all of the following criteria:
- Identifiable by type, function, material and/or time period.
- Has a general association with the area, but not with a specific site, event, or person along the Gowanus Canal during the canal’s period of significance (1853 to 1965).
- Does not confirm previously unconfirmed archival information along the canal or reveal new facts that change our understanding of the history of the area.
Artifacts are defined as meeting all of the following criteria:
- Identifiable by type, function, material and time period.
- Has an identifiable association with a specific building, site, event, or person along the Gowanus Canal during the canal’s period of significance (1853 to 1965).
- Confirms previously unconfirmed archival information along the canal or reveals new information that changes our understanding of the history/development of the area.
Debris is defined as any other item recovered from excavation/dredging, including:
- Unidentifiable objects
- Objects with no apparent association with the local area
- Construction debris
- Objects made after 1965
- Natural items (such as trees, brush, rocks, etc.)