BY ANN CIPPERLY
FOR THE OBSERVER
OPELIKA — Surrounded by more than 5,000 artifacts, Kylie Hogue, the new executive director of the Museum of East Alabama in Opelika, is planning programs, fun activities and events for the community to become more involved in the museum. Hogue said she is organizing ways for history to come alive in events such as A Night at the Museum and lunch lectures on the unique stories of five counties featured throughout the exhibits.
Hogue became the new director of the museum when long-time former director Glenn Buxton retired earlier this year. Buxton had served at the museum for 20 years and saw many changes and additions, as the museum became more involved in the community.
“I have always known I wanted to do something in the history field,” Hogue said. “I grew up in museums. My family donated the working McIntosh Blacksmith Shop to the Mississippi Ag Museum in Jackson, Mississippi. From an early age, I held my family’s legacy close, interning and curating my family’s legacy at the museum.
“I love connecting with people. When I realized that telling people’s stories and continuing their legacy was a career, I became interested in the field of public history.”
Hogue received a bachelor’s degree in history from Mississippi State University and a certificate in public history from the University of Northern Alabama.
“I moved to Opelika to explore the possibility of graduate school at Auburn University, but life quickly took over,” she said. “Then the opportunity came for me to intern at the museum, and I felt immediately at home. For the first time since moving here, I felt like I was home. I am privileged to be a steward of this museum.”
Hogue said she believes the museum is reflective of the community it serves. She plans to fully represent each county, story and legacy of the region.
“I want to build relationships that solidify the museum in its mission, to link the past with the present,” she said. “I want each visitor to leave this museum thinking that history is as recent as today. We want every person who visits to be able to connect with something we have in our museum.”
Hogue said she plans for the museum to host more consistent programs and events, such as a Night at the Museum when history comes alive and craft nights in partnership with the Southside Center for the Arts and others.
The museum has partnered with the Opelika Theater Company for an event where guests can hear stories of the “Hometown Heroes of East Alabama,” scheduled for the fall.
“We are working continuously to update the space, so we can best tell all these amazing stories,” Hogue said.
Lunch-Break Lectures will feature speakers, ranging from history authors to innovators in their field. Guests will be invited to bring their lunch and enjoy the program.
Among the new exhibits are Hometown Heroes, which highlights the figures that make East Alabama what it is today. Another exhibit features local native plants of East Alabama that display the unique agriculture of the region, including crops and medicinal herbs.
“East Alabama at Heart” explores visiting the five counties represented at the museum to see historic sites.
“This program aims to get people engaged in each of these communities,” Hogue said. “My goal for the museum is for it to become an active living space. Museums aren’t confined to four walls and a roof. The history is in every single one of us. We are what makes up East Alabama. I hope to create many programs that give people a reason to be in the museum and interacting with their history.
“To say that this role is an honor is an understatement. There is something spiritual about this job. I get to tell people’s stories, preserve so many diverse legacies every single time I open the doors to the museum.
“There is something special about being the curator and executive director of the Museum of East Alabama, and I will forever be grateful for the opportunity and that I get to call this place home.”
Museum board members said they are excited to work with Hogue.
“We are excited to have Kylie on board as our new executive director,” said Bert Harris, board member and son of the founders, Eleanor and John T. Harris III. “She has a lot of new ideas, and she also has a deep appreciation of the museum’s history and the history of East Alabama.”
President of the board, Jim Hardin, also expressed the board’s excitement to have Kylie as the new director.
“She brings excitement, experience and new ideas to the museum,” he said. “At her direction, we have several new interns working on new exhibits. I urge everyone to come by the museum and meet Kylie and see what is new with the old.”
The Museum of East Alabama is located at 121 South 9th St. in downtown Opelika. Hours are Tuesday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Saturday from 2 to 4 p.m. Admission is free. For further information call (334) 749-2751 or visit the website at www.eastalabama.org/.
