Jim Barmore wants community more in touch with Nevada State Museum

If a museum could be a toy store, then Jim Barmore got the best little red wagon any kid could get as a birthday present.

Barmore celebrated his 44th birthday May 27 and four days later had his first day on the job as the new director of the Nevada State Museum inside the former U.S. Mint.

"This is a great present," Barmore said.

Barmore unwrapped a package that has the museum planning a major new exhibit in the former First Interstate Bank building across the plaza. Plus, all eight museums in Carson City just joined marketing forces as the Museum Association of Carson City.

Even after only a week on the job, Barmore already has a vision for bringing the museum association into the new exhibit that will be called "Under One Sky." Opening possibly in 2001, "Under One Sky" will showcase Native American history in Nevada.

"I would hope other museums would want to share in that theme," Barmore said. "And not just the museum. Maybe also performing arts."

Bringing museums together is nothing new for Barmore. He formed a museum association in Skagit County, Wash., where he headed up the county historical museum for nine years before coming to Carson City.

"I'm very interested and anxious to join in (with the Museum Association of Carson City)," Barmore said. "Above everything, I'm a collaborator, facilitator and consensus builder."

Barmore and his boss speak the same words in terms of linking the Nevada State Museum with the community and schools. Michael Hillerby, director of the Nevada Department of Museums, Library and Arts, hired Barmore after evaluating a number of candidates with two interview panels.

"When we talked to board members at (Skagit County Historical Museum)," Hillerby said, "the things they valued him for is exactly what we're looking for. He has a strong commitment to the community. He gets people behind a vision and builds on that. The vision we have for our institutions is that they are a very important part of the community."

Barmore has his first meeting with the museum's education committee June 15.

"We need to be creative to make the museum relevant to the third and fourth grader," Barmore said. "We need to make this museum one of the best field trips for school tours.

"I don't want this place to be aloof. I want it to be a community-based museum. We're here to serve. I want to meet people. I want to talk to people. I think an agenda will come out of that."

Barmore's entire life has revolved around national parks and museums. He grew up at Yellowstone and Grand Teton national parks where his father was a wildlife biologist.

Following college, Barmore worked with fire crews, trail crews and at national parks and national forests, such as Denali National Park.

Museums came into his life while a graduate student at Texas Tech University in Lubbock, where he received a master's in museum science. His bachelor's degree was in history at Western State College of Colorado in Gunnison.

The Nevada State Museum puts to use both Barmore's degrees.

"Being more of a general history museum is appealing to me," Barmore said. "My background is history. There is a real comfort level for me in the type of museum this is. This is a growth opportunity. It is the next step in my dream of what I want to do in life."

Barmore spent 14 years in Washington, first as a curator of collections at the Museum of History and Industry in Seattle for five years and then as director of the Skagit County Historical Museum in La Conner, about 60 miles north of Seattle.

"Skagit County is real agricultural," Barmore said. "The museum has a large collection of farm-related and agriculture heritage items. It is a very community based museum. After having the position for nine years, I wanted a challenge. This represents a new challenge for me."

He said the Nevada State Museum was the best opening he saw in trade publications. Barmore relishes the chance to lead a museum as it opens a new display hall in the former bank building across the Loftin Plaza from his office.

"It's always exciting being part of something in the early planning stage. That's a dream space over there," Barmore said.

Barmore has yet to be joined by his wife, Linda, and two sons, Garrett, 11, and Kaden, 4.