by Tiffany Warner

In 1943, Dr.Selma Burke was commissioned by the Fine Arts Commission for the District of Columbia to sculpt a bust of Franklin D. Roosevelt. Her efforts are still seen daily by millions of people on the heads-side of our ten-cent coin, the dime. But few people realize that this interpretation of the well-known profile is the work of a female African American artist. I never would have learned this bit of trivia had I not stepped into one of Austin's hidden treasures, the George Washington Carver Museum.

In February of 1926, the Austin Public Library opened its doors above a room on Congress Avenue. A few months later, the building was moved to 9th and Guadalupe. The building remained at this location until 1933, when it was moved to East 11th and Angelina streets. When the building became accessible to patrons of color, the library was named after George Washington Carver, the great scientist celebrated for his studies and applications of the peanut to everyday life. Until 1980, the Carver Branch Library remained in the diminutive home-like building until a new facility was erected next door, to better expand on the treasures that were waiting to make a home, for a time, at the Carver Museum.

Now, meetings are taking place to consider a new expansion. The Carver has won a bond that was put to a vote by the citizens of Austin in 1998. The bond was set for 10.5 million dollars. With this money, the Carver hopes to build upon the desire to bring more art in all its forms into a facility where all may enjoy it. As the want to pique the interest of all who enter their doors grows, so does the need to educate the public on the importance of learning about some of the cities founding artisans, scientists and public leaders.

I was fortunate enough to have an audience with Ms. Bernadette Pfeiffer, the director of the George Washington Carver Museum. As I walked into her office, which was somewhat cluttered with paperwork and bric-a-brac, I noticed that everywhere I looked there were signs of a great and harried movement. An infectious motivation filled the space as I asked Ms. Pfeiffer what she believed would be the driving force behind receiving the bond.

"First of all," she explained to me, "the precise layout of the space had not been decided. The general public has been encouraged to participate in the meetings discussing the most beneficial way to go about using the bond and the space. The first of these public hearings, which was held in June, informed the Carver Expansion Team that there is interest in having a theater and visual arts space available, the same opinion that the Arts Commission had before hearings began. Before deciding what new programs to install into the Carver, basic amenities need to be considered, such as getting hot water running.

"There are no headlong rushes into any decisions, and those involved are interested in doing things right. For instance, as multi-faceted as the center would like to be, there will be concessions made to keeping permanent space available for some practicalities. A kitchen would best serve the center by making catering for events more feasible. As boring and ho-hum as a kitchen sounds in a fine arts facility, better planned receptions for artists and recitals would offer greater excitement for these social occasions and make larger turnouts more common. The mission for the Carver is not only to entertain but to enrich and educate the public about their history, and that means planning in such a way as to make coming to the museum more appealing to the patrons."

After the necessary structural demands have been satisfied, however, the excitement of new and expanded programs can be felt by listening to Ms. Pfeiffer, who has been directing the Carver for eleven years, speak of the aspirations "The little museum with big ideas" indeed has them. At present, the Coalition of Austin Black Artists has an exhibit up at the museum with a determination to show, promote and sell works of art while collaborating with artists locally, regionally and worldwide. Hopefully, with more space being made available, the Carver may expand on this idea by adding onto the already extensive historical archives of black Austin as well as surrounding black Central Texas. The focus on local artists of African descent does not exclude by any means the appetite for collecting outside of Texas and out of the United States. One day soon the collections of different African and Caribbean artifacts will be under glass alongside the stethoscopes and apothecary cases used by Dr. Carver.

I asked Ms. Pfeiffer how involved she believed the community would be after renovations get under-way, bearing in mind all the new activities that had been implemented in the way they wished. Choosing her words carefully and with affection, she spoke of the pride that the museum and library, she imagined, would give the people living in East Austin.

"The George Washington Carver Museum is the first African American museum to be organized in the state of Texas. A sense of pioneering, a new way of looking at ones own history in a historically hostile setting is a feat in itself. With the pride in this accomplishment, more participation is soon to follow, and more understanding should extend to other neighborhoods and communities, letting the rest of Austin better understand the differences that make this city wonderful. As the city grows it becomes increasingly important to allow the cultural aspects of our society to grow proportionately.

"The most important opportunity a community has is the education of its youth." Ms. Pfeiffer gave me something to think about before leaving her in her office, a hodgepodge of things to attend to.

"The younger generation can only really appreciate their history, being of African descent, by understanding that the history is in the making, starting but not ending with them. When a child enters the Carver museum -- or any museum -- they can only take so much with them from displays and pictures translating their heritage. The real and lasting impressions start at home."

If you have interest in helping the Carver, please contact the facility to sign up as a volunteer. The Carver Museum is located at 1161 Angelina Street in East Austin.