The Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum to Become Repository of a Texas Visual and Oral History Project

Museum Partners with LifeStories Alive and Frost Media Relations to Gather the Stories of Texans Throughout the State

• Press Release
• Source: Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum
• On 11:05 am EST, Tuesday November 3, 2009

AUSTIN, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum along with Austin-based production house, LifeStories Alive, and publicity firm, Frost Media Relations, is pleased to announce a partnership that launches a two-year, multi-city campaign capturing the untold stories of Texas by the Texans who experienced them.

In order to create a rich collection of life stories of Texans, this project will send a mobile video booth to at least 20 different regions around the state, as well as housing one stationary booth at The Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum. These two outlets will provide an opportunity where Texans of all ages can share poignant moments about their life in Texas. Selected Texan’s stories will become part of a special exhibit at The Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum, while all of the stories will become part of the permanent Museum archive.

“Tweed Scott, author of Texas in Her Own Words, coined the term the ‘T chromosome,’ where he expressed that Texas is different and the people from the state have a commonality…a Texas pride, that no other state can quite emulate,” said John Sneed, Executive Director of the State Preservation Board. “There’s so much truth to the T chromosome mindset, which is why we’re so excited about this partnership in gathering the stories of the people who make Texas so rich, vibrant, and larger than life.”

“Naturally, we’ll design an entire exhibit around the stories collected, but we’re equally excited about the repository of these stories and how we can pull from the archive for future exhibits in many years to come,” said Laura Hall, Interim Museum Director of The Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum.

Funding for the Texas Visual and Oral History Project (a working title) is expected to come from public/private sponsorships and reaches out to Texans across the state. All donations will be made to The Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum and are tax deductible. Karen Frost, Frost Media Relations, who comes with Texas roots that run seven generations deep, will be spearheading the fundraising and sponsorship efforts.

Mike O’Krent, native of San Antonio, and founder of LifeStories Alive, will assist in funding efforts, but more importantly will oversee the production and execution of the project as a whole.

With a fundraising goal of $2 million, sponsorship packages are available. Title sponsorship for the Texas Visual and Oral History Project is $1 million, which includes many benefits such as project naming rights and long term branding within the story archive housed at The Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum.

THE BOB BULLOCK TEXAS STATE HISTORY MUSEUM

The Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum in downtown Austin, Texas, tells the Story of Texas with three floors of interactive exhibits, two special effects shows in the Texas Spirit Theater, and Austin’s only IMAX® Theatre featuring the signature large-format film Texas: The Big Picture. The Education Department brings the Museum to life through engaging, fun, and educational programming for a wide variety of audiences. The Museum also has a Cafe with indoor and outdoor seating and a Museum Store with something for the Texan in everyone. The driving force behind the creation of the Texas State History Museum was former Lieutenant Governor Bob Bullock. The Museum is a division of the State Preservation Board.

ABOUT LIFESTORIES ALIVE

Mike O'Krent, founder of LifeStories Alive, LLC, specializes in making personal history videos for families who value their heritage. LifeStories Alive creates family heirlooms in video – digitally mastered records of life stories with personal accounts, photos, and mementos of family history. O’Krent is a San Antonio native and graduated from Southern Methodist University with a BBA in Marketing and Management and a minor in History. Between 1996 and 2000, O’Krent interviewed Holocaust survivors for Steven Spielberg's Survivors of the Shoah Visual History Foundation. During that incredible experience, he found his passion and launched LifeStories Alive. www.lifestoriesalive.com

ABOUT FROST MEDIA RELATIONS

Karen Frost is principal and owner of Frost Media Relations, a public relations consulting firm founded in 1998. Frost clients include the Texas Cultural Trust and the Texas Medal of Arts Awards, filmmaker Turk Pipkin and The Nobelity Project, and top ten leading prostate cancer surgeon, Dr. Randy Fagin. Client media placements include features in The New York Times, The Oprah Winfrey Show, The Today Show, National Public Radio, and many more. Prior to launching Frost Media Relations, Frost was a producer for CBS News, media consultant for Senator Ted Kennedy and Chuck Robb, and managed the pressroom for the Perot ’92 presidential campaign. For several years, Frost served as alumni president of the Bob Schieffer School of Journalism at Texas Christian University in Fort Worth, Texas. www.frostmedia.com

for Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum
Frost Media Relations
Karen Frost, 512-451-7770
kfrost@frostmedia.com
or
Timothy Dillon, 512-936-4600
Director of Marketing & Media Relations
Timothy.dillon@theystoryoftexas.com