CRF Museum curator Libben wins national award

The Small Museum Association honored Cleo Redd Fisher Museum curator Kenny Libben at their awards banquet during their 40th annual conference in Richmond, Virginia.

Libben was selected from a competitive field of nominees to be awarded the association’s Hunter-Burley Award, recognizing an individual’s outstanding contributions to the advancement of public access and professional growth for an individual institution. The announcement came in front of a gathering of nearly 300 museum professionals.

In his acceptance speech, Libben spoke of the honor of being recognized and thanked the association for its work in advancing the interests of small museums across the country. Though an individual award, he said none of his or the CRF Museum’s achievements would have been possible without the hard work, dedication and passion of numerous volunteers over the years.

Libben has served as the curator of the CRF Museum in Loudonville since 2010, when museum leadership began considering permanent closure and dissolution following years of low attendance and the retirement of the previous curator, the late Jim Sharp. Among the many accomplishments that stood out to the awards selection committee was the meaningful growth the museum took under Libben’s leadership: Memberships more than tripled, artifact and monetary donations significantly increased, and annual attendance rates increased from an average attendance of 75-100 visitors to over 10,000.

Though Libben credited the increase with simply “unlocking the doors and letting people inside,” the museum’s board credits much of it with his development of new exhibits focusing on local stories, engaging social media and marketing campaigns, interactive community events, and appealing programs that see the lecture hall regularly filled to standing room only.

Most recently, Libben developed a Heritage Travel program allowing travelers to explore the world and discover new places and cultures. The program has proven popular with most tours selling out within days of announcement and the dual benefit of a vast increase in museum membership applications as members receive early access.

The award comes on the heels of other achievements and recognition for Libben. In 2015 he was recognized by the Ohio Local History Alliance for Outstanding Individual Achievement, in 2022 he was elected by the international museum community to serve as an officer on the board of the International Committee for Regional Museums as part of the International Council of Museums, in 2023 he received Small Museum Professional certification from the American Association for State and Local History, and this past December he was invited to Taiwan to speak with museum leaders including the directors of the National Palace Museum and the National Museum of Taiwan History on how to develop, aid and sustain small museums in their country.

He also has been invited to speak at the American Alliance of Museum’s conference this spring in Baltimore.

The Small Museum Association’s mission is to develop and maintain a peer network among people who work for small museums, giving them opportunities to learn, share knowledge and support one another so they, in turn, can better serve their institutions, communities and profession.

The Cleo Redd Fisher Museum is the public face of the Mohican Historical Society. The society, founded in 1961, began construction of the museum in 1972 and named it in honor of the society’s founding member and primary benefactor, Cleo Redd Fisher. The museum is an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that serves the Mohican area as a source for research, learning and historical discussion by connecting the community with the history and traditions of the area.

For more information on the museum, visit www.crfmuseum.com.