Who We Are

LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

We acknowledge that here at the Museum in Port Townsend we are on the ancestral homelands of the S’Klallam peoples, and throughout broader Jefferson County are on the traditional lands of many different Tribes of the Olympic Peninsula. Native peoples have lived on and stewarded these lands since time immemorial, and continue to do so today.  Learn more.

JCHS MISSION AND VISION

Mission Statement: Through collections, research, exhibits and programs, we bring people together to share, learn and be inspired by Jefferson County arts and heritage.

Vision Statement: People engage with the unique and diverse stories of Jefferson County.

VALUES 

At JCHS our values are Inclusivity, Curiosity, Sustainability and Accountability to Community.

JCHS strives to lead with these values in our community and in our professional practice. We commit to diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility in what we say and do. We acknowledge that our communities have been adversely affected by longstanding white-centered narratives and systems of privilege, which our organization has contributed to and allowed to persist through time. We aim to dismantle barriers to engagement and representation by partnering, collaborating with, consulting with, and uplifting diverse voices in our decision-making processes, collections, research, exhibitions, and programs, and the continual pursuit of learning about equity. We begin with racial equity but also aim to address accessibility to our work in income, gender identity, culture, language, ability, and any other forms of disenfranchisement that our community may experience.

Inclusivity

We are committed to building and sustaining an inclusive community, including addressing barriers to the full inclusion of historically underrepresented groups. Recognizing that multiple voices and perspectives enrich our work, we are dedicated to fostering an environment where differences are valued and respected, and where all members of our community are engaged participants in our mission.

We will do this by:

1. Expanding our interpretive & programmatic strategies. We are committed to welcoming and empowering multiple perspectives by actively seeking diverse viewpoints in the development & evaluation of our exhibitions and programs, and training staff and volunteers to fully participate in an inclusive interpretive strategy. This will enable JCHS to deliver inclusive, accessible, and responsive exhibitions and programs.
   
   
2. Build a diverse collection. All five of the museum’s sites, and the work of many of our partners, are impacted by the collections. JCHS will develop an inclusive collecting plan, which can include actively acquiring archives and objects representative of, or created by, underrepresented communities who have, and continue to, contribute to and influence Jefferson County arts and heritage. By sharing these collections we will invite conversations with our visitors and build transparency about what we collect and why.
   
   
3. Embody inclusivity within our internal culture. We commit to internal inclusive practices, policies, and behaviors, building a culture of mutual trust and respect. We strive to ensure that new and existing staff and volunteers feel welcomed, supported, and encouraged to express their identities in the workplace.
   
   

Curiosity

We are all learners and teachers. We believe in taking creative risks to surprise and delight visitors of all backgrounds with fun, engaging, and intriguing exhibitions and programs. We also believe that supporting curiosity leads to lifelong learning, and within our organization, creates a work environment that supports collaboration.

Accountability to Community

We are driven by our mission and are committed to listening with purpose, sharing resources, stewarding community stories and collections, and being accountable to our community and stakeholders. Being accountable to our community means inviting them behind-the-scenes to understand the process of interpreting and preserving history. Being Community-Centered means being responsive to community interests and needs, being transparent and ethical in our practices, and being authentic and honest in our relationships.

Sustainability

Sustainability is multifaceted at JCHS. To be sustainable means we have compassion for this planet and all its inhabitants, and we will strive to continually examine how to minimize our footprint and give back. We also strive to remain modern and relevant in our practices, responsible with the resources we are given, and financially transparent, always striving to achieve a high level of efficiency and sustainability. By integrating our work with our passions we will create a smart, coordinated, and supportive work culture that values our staff and volunteers as leaders in the community.

Strategic Plan (download PDF)