National Deaf Life Museum at Gallaudet University

11/01/2023

Why did our staff sit down for a board game yesterday? Just to make sure we're ready for you at tomorrow's BOARD GAME NIGHT! We'll be partnering with Roll'em Bones Cafe and SEL to bring you "Pandemic" in the Rathskellar, tied in with our "Hard Hit" exhibition just around the corner. Food and drink will be provided, along with other games to capture your interest! See the second pic for all the details!

ID 1: A white man with short brown hair sits in front of the board game Pandemic. Cards are spread out across the table and many disease cubes are on the board, indicating it will be hard to win.

ID 2: Flyer for Pandemic Board Game Night. Images of the Pandemic game, dice, and pawns. Text: Rathskellar, Nov 2 9-11pm, 5 minute tours of "Hard Hit" exhibit, food and drinks provided, hosted by the NDLM in collaboration with SEL and Roll 'Em Bones. Free and open to the public!

10/31/2023

The National Deaf Life Museum wishes everyone a safe and happy Halloween! If you see a deaf ghost, don't bother screaming...they can't hear you! 👻

ID: Purple Halloween graphic with orange sunset background. A bat, a pumpkin, a gravestone, and a black cat sit alongside a silhouette of the Tower Clock. Text: "Happy Halloween, Be safe out there!"

10/28/2023

Our hawk friend from the summer is still with us, enjoying the scenery of autumn. This regal bird is the perfect complement to our majestic Chapel Hall. Hope you are all enjoying the weekend!

ID 1: A brown and gray hawk sits perched on a branch, with just a few orange leaves left around it. In the background is Chapel Hall with the Tower Clock. The flag on the tower is at half staff.

ID 2: A close-up of the hawk, which is looking to one side. The stained glass windows of Chapel Hall fill the background.

10/26/2023

Congratulations to Hume LePrince Battiste, Class of 1913, for his induction into the Gallaudet Athletics Hall of Fame! Our museum's director was honored to present his sports achievements - stay tuned for these to appear in an upcoming newsletter. Pictured is his cousin, Andre Battiste, accepting the award.

ID: A Black man speaks at a podium in Ole Jim, wearing a tan suit. On the TV screen behind him is a drawing of Hume Battiste, a Black man with short hair. An interpreter and a photographer are also in the photo.

10/24/2023

We had fun at Homecoming, and we hope you did too! We partnered with the Homecoming Committee to host a trivia night for students, and we welcomed visitors to a special pop-up exhibit featuring deaf LGBTQA+ stories in the 1980s. Thanks to all the alumni who visited us and congrats to the Gallaudet Bison on their football win!

ID 1: Students sit in the bleachers of the Field House. One is holding up an answer board for trivia questions, and another applauds in the background.

ID 2: The museum in Chapel Hall, with a dozen easels showing large displays about LGBT history. Three people stand and sit in the background, chatting.

ID 3: The Gallaudet football field, seen from the bleachers, with the Bison logo in the center. The opposing team is near the camera and Gallaudet's players are across the field.

10/19/2023

Are you ready for Homecoming? Come visit us with extended WEEKEND hours! On Friday, join us for a one-day showing of the exhibition "The Hidden and Secret History of LGBTQA+ Deaf People’s Experiences in the 1980s." Then stop by Saturday morning before the game for a chance to tour the museum and meet our staff! Go Bison!

ID: Yellow and blue graphic announcing special hours. Text: "Homecoming 2023 - The Museum is Open! Welcome Home Alumni! Fri 9-4, Sat 9-1." Museum's social media and newsletter links listed.

10/18/2023

Hey alumni! We found this in the 1984 Tower Clock yearbook. Help us out - can you identify anyone in this photo? What is ZZG? What are buns and paws? We'd like to hear from you, either comment on this post or send us an email at [email protected].

ID: A photo of eight women smiling at the camera. Text: "We, ZZG, wish the Class of '84 the best of luck! Didi, get ur buns & paws here next fall!" Paw prints are drawn around the photo and there are names around it: Cheri, Reddi, Mimi, Coki, Jelli, Unni, Shanti, Gigi.

10/17/2023

John Louis Clarke was a deaf Blackfoot (Niitsítapi) artist who specialized in woodcarving. His work was so skilled and well-known that it was on display in the White House in the 1920s, and he received numerous awards for his work. Clarke attended the North Dakota and Montana Schools for the Deaf, and used both American Sign Language and Plains Sign Language. Much of his work is signed with his Blackfoot name, Cutapuis, which means "The Man Who Talks Not." In addition to producing sculptures, he also carved large panels depicting Indigenous life; one of the most famous of these is "Blackfeet Encampment," commissioned by the Montana Historical Society. To learn more, visit The Clarke Gallery: https://www.theclarkegallery.com/

ID: A photo of a middle-aged man with short black hair, wearing a long-sleeved shirt and using a chisel on a block of wood. Text: "Deaf Indigenous History - John Louis Clarke, 1881-1970. A woodcarving artist, his Blackfoot name was Cutapuis - meaning The Man Who Talks Not." National Deaf Life Museum logo in the corner with website URL.

10/11/2023

Don't forget, you can sign up as a tour guide at the ! Email us for more information. The National Deaf Life Museum and the National Museum of the American Latino will also be collaborating in future engagement opportunities for the community. Stay tuned for more information!

ID: A notepad type graphic looks like it is pinned to a cork board. Text: "Don't forget! The National Museum of the American Latino is looking for ASL tour guides! Email [email protected] for more info!" There are also smiley faces drawn on post-its attached to the cork board.

10/09/2023

Today is and we are celebrating the work of Dr. Richard Clarke Eckert, a deaf artist and enrolled member of the Bad River Band of Lake Superior Ojibwe. His soapstone sculptures include both Deaf and Native American themes, such as this thunderbird. His work can often be found at artisan's markets in the Rochester, NY area.

ID: A dark green stone carved into a bird shape, with light brown patches of color throughout. It is sitting on a display table in front of a shelf with other stone carvings.

10/05/2023

Be sure to mark your calendars for this can't-miss event! The Museum will be hosting a panel of deaf AIDS survivors and spotlighting their unique stories. Also featured is the showing of the film "Everyone I Know Is Sick", as well as the opportunity to add to the AIDS Quilt. More information will be released.

In the meantime, be sure to also visit our exhibition titled "Left Behind: HIV/AIDS and the Deaf Community" at the Museum in Chapel Hall!

ID: A simple white graphic with red borders. Text says "Save The Date; December 7" and at the bottom in red text, "A panel of deaf AIDS survivors and their stories". In the middle of the video graphic is a large red ribbon.

10/02/2023

Have you tried the food at La Cosecha yet? This Latin American marketplace is just a couple of blocks from Gallaudet! Join the National Museum of the American Latino there on October 6 for their "Nuestra Cocina" program, featuring food, drinks, dancing, and cooking demonstrations. ASL interpreters provided.

Experience Washington’s Latino food scene with the National Museum of the American Latino's Sobremesa con NMAL After Hour's event at La Cosecha Market. The museum launches its new program series, Nuestra Cocina, during Hispanic Heritage Month with food, drinks, dance, cooking demonstrations, and a...

09/29/2023

Welcome to the team! Our newest student worker, Dylan, is a second-year student majoring in Secondary Education and History. You can catch him working the front desk at the Museum or around campus!

ID: White graphic with blue accents. There is a photo of a man with brown hair and glasses smiling. He is wearing a black and white stripped button up shirt. The text reads "Welcome to the team Dylan Alers" with the National Deaf Life Museum logo at the bottom of the graphic.

09/25/2023

Stephanie Nogueras is a fantastic Deaf actress who landed her first role in 2013 - just six months after arriving in Hollywood! Ten years later, she has continued her acting career, while also working as a mentor to students and families. Her background as the only deaf person in a hearing Puerto Rican family motivated her to work supporting deaf children, and her own journey of motherhood was recently featured in Vogue Mexico and Latin America.

ID: A Latina woman with long, curly brown hair smiles at the camera, wearing a floral shirt. Text: "Stephanie Nogueras - Deaf Puerto-Rican American Actress, Mentor, and Educator"

09/21/2023

Celebrate Latino history and culture with the National Museum of the American Latino at the Echo Arts Festival! Enjoy demonstrations, classes, and more at Glen Echo Park on October 1st. The event will have ASL interpreters available, and it's free! Visit https://latino.si.edu/events/latino-heritage-festival-glen-echo-arts-festival for more information.

ID: National Museum of the American Latino logo and Echo Arts Festival logos. They present the Latino Heritage Festival, October 1, 2023 at Glen Echo Park. ASL interpreter symbol in the corner.

09/19/2023

This week is your last chance to come visit River of Truth at Gallaudet! Don't miss it, including this painting, "Mujer," by Deaf Chicana artist Cristal A. Dueñas-Tejeda. The decorative cut paper at the top is a Mexican traditional craft called papel picado.

ID1: A painting in a museum gallery. It shows a woman in a white shirt with flowers, a red head scarf, and gold earrings. Behind her are "papel picado," decoratively cut paper from Mexican traditions. She is signing the word "woman."

ID2: Flyer for River of Truth Art Exhibition. Features four colorful paintings with text: July 31 - September 25, 2023, Mondays - Fridays, 10 am - 4 pm. Linda K. Jordan Gallery at Washburn Arts Center at Gallaudet University. Featuring works by BIPOC Deaf, DeafBlind and Hard of Hearing artists, this groundbreaking exhibition explores the artists' expreriences of oppression, success, passion, and more. For more information contact: [email protected], [email protected]. Logos for Gallaudet University and Deaf Women of Color.

09/15/2023

Happy Hispanic Heritage Month! We're kicking it off by sharing that the National Museum of the American Latino is looking for docents to give American Sign Language tours of their exhibition ¡Presente! Training will be provided. Please contact [email protected] for more information.

ID: A blue graphic with brightly colored flowers and a photo of the Presente exhibit. Text: "National Museum of the American Latino. ASL Docents Wanted. Email [email protected] for info."

09/11/2023

Today would have been the 84th birthday of our founder, Dr. Jane Norman! Many Gallaudet alumni remember her as a professor in the Film and TV Department, and later in Communication Studies - but she was also a member of the International Typographical Union, a television news anchor, and an actor with the National Theatre of the Deaf. We are proud to continue her work in the museum field.

ID: Photo of Jane Norman, surrounded by drawings of flowers. Text: In Loving Memory of Dr. Jane Norman, 9/11/39-4/4/20. Founder of the National Deaf Life Museum at Gallaudet University."

09/08/2023

Last chance! Don't miss the Art Museum of the Americas exhibition featuring deaf artist Petrona Viera of Uruguay. Open through September 17 only, here in DC! Shown here: Viera's self-portrait. http://www.museum.oas.org/exhibitions/2020s/2023-viera.html

ID: A blocky oil on canvas painting of a Latina woman with short black hair parted in the middle. She wears a white short-sleeve polo shirt and carries a painter's palette.

09/07/2023

One of the many deaf-friendly features created by the Smithsonian American Art Museum along with Gallaudet University's Motion Light Lab is this cool dance floor! It goes along with Martine Gutierrez's video "Clubbing" and you can check it out in the "Musical Thinking" exhibition, open through January 2024!

08/25/2023

We welcomed the Maguire Welcome Center's team of Student Ambassadors this week! If you take a tour of the Gallaudet campus, these students will bring you through the museum. They're now fully equipped to tell you everything you need to know. Anyone is welcome to sign up for a tour at http://gallaudet.edu/visit - come check us out!

ID: A man stands in front of a museum exhibit, presenting to a group of students sitting on benches arranged in a U-shape.

08/24/2023

Here's a blast from the past - few alumni out there will remember when the cafeteria was in Chapel Hall! Here it is in the 1950s, located in what is now the University Communications office - right outside the museum!

ID: Round tables, each with five chairs and white tablecloths, are closely packed into a square room. The windows have floral curtains and a picture of an elephant is on the wall. Each table is ready for dinner, with place settings laid out and plates stacked in the center.

08/21/2023

We love this piece in this "River of Truth" exhibition of BIPOC artists! Inspired by Chuck Baird's "Sunset in Austin" from 1978, MSSD students C**t Franklin and Denali Boren created a motion-activated piece of signing art! When you pass in front of the piece, a light comes on and the artwork begins to move - super cool! Come check it out through September 25 at Gallaudet!

ID: Over a sunset, the words "One of our favorite River of Truth artworks..." transitions into a picture of a painting of the ASL sign "sunset" with sun rays and a mountain. Text "The Original: Chuck Baird, Sunset in Austin, 1978." Transition into video of a 3-D version of the painting, but the arm is actually moving down as if making the sign "sunset." Text: "Motion activated signing art!" Arm goes up and starts down as video moves to credit of two students, with their picture, smiling in front of the piece. Ends on exhibition logo graphic.

08/18/2023

We hope you enjoyed our Summer Scavenger Hunt! The next time you're on campus, take a walk around College Hall and Chapel Hall to spot these memorials. They're harder to find than rat funeral slabs, but they honor some of Gallaudet's earliest alumni. Have a great weekend!

ID: Text: "Summer Scavenger Hunt, Thank you for playing with us." All in bright pinks, blues, and yellows. NDLM logo at the bottom.

08/17/2023

We warned you the last day of our Summer Scavenger Hunt was hard...in fact you'll never see this walking by! But hidden behind the tree is the Class of 1875's memorial - quietly honoring the six members of the graduating class. Before the tree was planted, the deep carving must have been very easy to see!

ID: North (rear) side of Chapel Hall, looking at the stairs to the entrance and the stained glass windows. Between them is a large tree, with arrows pointing at the middle of the leaves.

08/16/2023

Summer Scavenger Hunt Day 3 Answer: It's College Hall again! This time it's on the west side, but on a little angle that you can see if you're facing south. One of the members of the Class of 1876 was renowned writer George M. Teegarden - if he carved anything additional when he received his honorary MA in 1922, he never told anyone!

ID: The west side of College Hall, looking south, with the flagpole visible in the background. An arrow points to a small square block about two feet off the ground.

08/15/2023

Summer Scavenger Hunt Day 2 Answer: Identifying College Hall is easy from its varied construction materials (the Jefferson Market Library in NYC is very similar, from the same designer). But it's a big building - so find "Spectemur Agendo" on the south facing wall, near the coffin door!

ID: The south walls of College Hall, with an arrow pointing into a low corner near a basement window.

08/14/2023

Here's the answer to Summer Scavenger Hunt Day 1, from the Class of 1873! Their motto "Vestigia Nulla Retrorsum" (Never a Step Backward) can be found on the Tower Clock itself, on the left corner, facing south.

ID: A photo of the Tower Clock and Chapel Hall. An arrow points to a stone above a hedge, about four feet off the ground, on the left edge of the south face of the Tower Clock.

08/13/2023

Dorothy Chiyoko Sueoka Casterline, ’58 & H-’22, passed away on August 8, 2023. She was 96 years old. Our hearts go out to her loved ones, and we are grateful for her painstaking field research that led to the formal recognition of American Sign Language in the late 1950s and early 1960s.

Dorothy Chiyoko Sueoka Casterline, ’58 & H-’22, passed away on August 8, 2023. She was 96 years old.  Along with the late Carl Croneberg, ’55,

08/11/2023

The last day of our Summer Scavenger Hunt is the hardest - this one is well hidden! The Class of 1875's motto, "Prorsum et Sursum," means "Onward and Upward." Indeed, this is the only class memorial over seven feet off the ground! Tell us where it is and get the answer next week!

ID: Class motto and year carved deeply into stones with vertical striations in them. One stone, at the top, is lighter than the others and is partly green from the environment.

08/10/2023

Summer Scavenger Hunt Day 3: It looks kind of like a fidget spinner, but this damaged design is actually a three-armed boomerang from the Class of 1876. Originally the year '76 was in the middle, and each arm held an initial - you can almost still see William George Jones's "J" at the top. But have you seen where it's located? Answers coming next week!

ID: Tan stone that has turned green from the environment. In a square block, a very damaged boomerang still has part of "76" visible and a "J" at the top. One arm of the boomerang is completely gone.

08/09/2023

Summer Scavenger Hunt Day 2: The Class of 1879's motto, "Spectemur Agendo," means "Judge us by our actions," so we hope they got permission for this carving! M-E-P refers to the graduating seniors, James Murphy, Jerome Elwell, and John Prince. Where is this mark? Answer coming next week!

ID: A stone is carved with the class motto and year, and the letters M E P each in a link of a chain. Below the carved stone is plain stone, and above is marble, with red brick on top of that.

08/08/2023

Summer Scavenger Hunt Day 1: The motto for the class of 1873 was "Vestigia Nulla Retrorsum" or "Never a Step Backward." Most of the graduates became teachers or printers. Have you seen their inscription on campus? We're looking for an exact location, not just the building name! Answer to come next week!

ID: The class motto and year are carved into heavy stone with thin vertical lines. Above the motto, one of the stones has turned almost completely green from the environment.

08/07/2023

This week, our Summer Scavenger Hunt focuses on class memorials! Before rat slabs were placed around campus, 19th century students carved their mark on campus directly on the buildings. We've covered the memorials for the classes of 1869 and 1870 before, but there are several more - can you tell us where they are? Starting tomorrow, give it your best shot - no prizes, just bragging rights!

ID 1: Left top: A triangle shape carved into tan stone, with internal carvings barely visible. Left bottom: The same triangle before it was damaged, showing 1869 in the center, and the initials H., L., P. in the corners. Right: A large '70 carved into the same tan stone.

ID 2: The East Wing of College Hall, which is red brick on the top three floors and tan stone below. We are looking at the north facing wall, and white arrows point to the 1869 triangle and the large '70.

08/04/2023

Easing into the weekend with the online relaunch of our hit exhibit "Then and Now" - who doesn't love a good before-and-after shot? "Then and Now" opened in Chapel Hall on April 8, 2014 and was one of our most popular exhibitions ever. Now you can enjoy it from home! https://gu.live/ThenNowExhibit

ID: Left: 1940s shot of Chapel Hall, with the walls fully covered in ivy, surrounded by trees. Right: 2008 shot of Chapel Hall, no ivy, fewer trees.

08/03/2023

You may have seen this photo featured in our History Through Deaf Eyes exhibition, but do you know who the subjects are? The Library of Congress, which owns the image and makes it available for free use, has the details! The students and their teacher are from St. Rita School for the Deaf, a Catholic school in Cincinnati that opened in 1915. They are signing the Star Spangled Banner. Check out more information on the LOC website!
https://www.loc.gov/resource/npcc.33373/

ID: A group of five children and two adults stand in front of a large American flag. They are each signing one sign, including star, first, and night. The photo is from 1918 and they are all in period clothing, dressed as though it is spring or fall.

08/01/2023

Today would have been Henrietta Lacks's 103rd birthday. Her family, including several deaf and hard of hearing descendants, has finally reached a settlement with the pharmaceutical company that has benefited for years from Henrietta's cells. We celebrate this victory!

ID: Black and white photo of a Black woman in a handsome suit. Her hands are on her hips and she is smiling proudly. The text says "Happy Birthday Henrietta Lacks" and repeats what is in the post text.

07/27/2023

We are proud to support the extension of the River of Truth exhibition, featuring BIPOC Deaf artists exploring oppression, success, passion, and more! Join us on campus July 31-Sept 25 for this stunning exhibition, sponsored by Gallaudet University and Deaf Women of Color.

ID: Flyer for River of Truth Art Exhibition. Features four colorful paintings with text: July 31 - September 25, 2023, Mondays - Fridays, 10 am - 4 pm. Linda K. Jordan Gallery at Washburn Arts Center at Gallaudet University. Featuring works by BIPOC Deaf, DeafBlind and Hard of Hearing artists, this groundbreaking exhibition explores the artists' expreriences of oppression, success, passion, and more. For more information contact: [email protected], [email protected]. Logos for Gallaudet University and Deaf Women of Color.

07/26/2023

Last Friday, NDLM staff, along with Deaf Latino artists Miguel Díaz Calderón and Rolando Sigüenza, visited the National Museum of the American Latino to tour their exhibition ¡Presente! Our team also met with the museum's community engagement coordinator to discuss potential partnerships. We especially enjoyed seeing Gallaudet's ninth president, Dr. Robert Davila, in the exhibition!

ID: A group of people stand in a circle in front of the entrance to a museum exhibition. A woman in a red shirt is talking and an interpreter is signing next to her.

07/24/2023

This weekend, Gallaudet University corrected a historical injustice and awarded high school diplomas to Black Deaf students who attended a segregated school on campus in the 1950s. Among these students was Mary Arnold, seen in this photo with Andrew Foster, who was a student teacher there.

When our exhibition on Foster opened in 2014, Arnold's son Marcellus Hartsfield visited the museum and immediately recognized his mother in the exhibition. On Saturday, he accepted his mother's diploma. See more at the Washington Post story.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2023/07/22/deaf-black-gallaudet-diploma/

ID: Two Black high school students study a globe. Looking over their shoulders is a young Black man. They are in a classroom, and a map of the US is on the board.