My Nonprofit Reviews

Dear Board and Staff:

I am writing to thank you for your time, hospitality, and generosity when my wife and I visited your museum recently. It was certainly the highlight of our trip, which included several days in Boston and a number of visits to institutions and sites in the southern New Hampshire area.

As someone who has worked in the arts and cultural field for more than forty years and travelled a great deal, I have visited countless museums and art galleries in North America and other parts of the world. I must say that I think your museum is one of the finest I have seen. While it is not large, it is inspirational and transformative in every respect.

From the moment I set foot in your museum until the moment I left, I felt revitalized, captivated, and at home. As founder and Director of the World Culture Project - which is devoted to broadening and deepening understanding of culture and cultures throughout the world and was officially declared a World Decade of Cultural Development activity by the United Nations and UNESCO in 1989 - I was especially taken by the ability of your museum to convey so much information of vital importance about the character and value of the many diverse cultures of the world. This was achieved through attractively-displayed exhibits and creatively-presented art objects and artifacts.

An added bonus was the pleasure of seeing so many children in the museum enjoying musical instruments from the various cultures of the world and listening to well-told stories from around the world. It is always wonderful to see a museum that provides exhibitions of the highest quality and variety, as well as 'hands-on opportunities' for visitors. But when these visitors are children, especially during the middle of summer, one knows that the museum is more than fulfilling the mandate and purpose that were established for it.

I believe your museum deserves a great deal of private and public support. It is the kind of museum that should exist in every community as a result of its ability to inform and excite as well as enrich and illuminate. It should be expanded well beyond the present physical premises in my view, largely through the creation of many more outreach programs, travelling exhibitions, and website activities that can reach many more people. Hopefully, governments, corporations, and foundations will respond generously to this necessity. You have a great deal to contribute, and much to create that would be of inestimable value to Peterborough, the United States, and the world at large.

With my very best wishes for every success in your future endeavors. Please don't hesitate to give my name, email address, or telephone number to people who want to talk about a museum that 'has got it right,' and deserves a great deal more financial assistance and developmental support in the years and decades ahead.

With my very best wishes and warmest regards.

D. Paul Schafer,
Director
World Culture Project
(www3.sympatico.ca/dpaulschafer)
19 Sir Gawaine Place,
Markham, Ontario
L3P 3A1
Email: dpaulschafer@sympatico.ca
Telephone: 905-471-1342

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