Authors: Shelly Leavens
Date Submitted: November 30, 2009
Article Type: Discourse

What is it about kites that encourages innovation? Or perhaps, what is it about innovative and creative people that draws them to kites?

Part of the answer to these questions lies in the archives of the World Kite Museum (WKM), in Long Beach, Washington. Director Kay Buesing and volunteer Patti Gibbons know better than anyone where these answers can be found – through the stories of the WKM Oral History Program. By recording and then disseminating the oral reminiscences of people from the international kiting community – mostly fliers, builders, and organizers – this program helps preserve, celebrate, and broaden recognition of kiting’s rich social and cultural history.

Oral history is often thought of as serving museums and their public by providing research archives full of multilayered material. However, due to the nature of how oral history engages the museum community during the process of interviewing and dialog, it is just as much about the people involved as it is about the subject matter of their stories. Therefore, it is important to start this story from the beginning, with Kay and Jim Buesing.

Page Number: 33
PDF Link: Discourse Issue