Shannon Williams, who had served as interim director of the Hemingway-Pfeiffer Museum & Educational Center in Piggott for a year, was named to the position on a permanent basis in December. She joined the museum in 2016 and became bookstore manager that year.
Previously, Williams served the town of Piggott as its parks and recreation director for 25 years. She is married to Piggott Mayor Travis Williams, and they have two daughters enrolled at Arkansas State University in Jonesboro.
Williams has focused on outreach to K-12 classrooms throughout her five-year tenure at the museum.
What is the museum’s mission?
The Hemingway-Pfeiffer Museum & Education Center, an Arkansas State University Heritage Site, contributes to understanding of the regional, national and global history of the 1920s and the 1930s by focusing on the internationally connected Pfeiffer family of Piggott and their son-in-law and regular guest Ernest Hemingway. This includes drawing on Hemingway’s influence as a noted American author to foster interest in literature and the arts and promote excellence in both.
Does the museum expect increased interest from the Hemingway documentary by Ken Burns?
We have already seen an increase in online virtual tours as well as onsite reservations, which I believe is a direct response to the documentary’s publicity.
How was the museum affected by the pandemic and what lessons were learned from that experience?
Due to the pandemic, we increased our online outreach to adapt to the circumstances and learned to improvise to fit the museum’s needs to keep the community engaged.
What is your vision for the museum going forward?
I would like to bring new exhibits to the museum, increase the K-12 education programming and host more events in the community.
What attracted you to this line of work?
I believe this position has a unique environment that allows me to experience something different every day when I walk in the door. I enjoy meeting people from all over the country, working with the schoolchildren in our programs and playing a small role in preserving our local history.
Who are your mentors, people who have made a difference in your life?
The mentor who has shaped my career the most would be the late Teddy Bellers. I began working for Teddy as a young woman, as the parks and recreation director, and Ted always had encouraging words and truly loved giving back to our community. He had an open-door policy and led by example, was always kind, answered questions and offered valuable advice.
I also consider Dr. Ruth Hawkins to have been an influential mentor in my life. I admired her work ethic and will always be grateful to have had the privilege to work for the Hemingway-Pfeiffer Museum & Education Center.
What is your most important mistake that has helped shape your career?
Earlier in my career, I found myself sometimes second-guessing my abilities. I lacked the self-confidence to believe in myself, while now I have learned to take a leap of faith when given the opportunity.
Sign up for Daily E-news
