Marshals Museum message soon to hit larger audience

The U.S. Marshals Museum effort and story will soon hit millions of small screens around the country.

Jessica Hayes, museum coordinator for the U.S. Marshals Museum, told the museum board during a Tuesday (Sept. 1) meeting that portions of a video to be filmed in October will find television time on public television stations around the country. She said a one-minute segment about the museum will be used between the transition of regularly-scheduled shows.

Also, the segment will find air time on some of the major cable networks, including TLC and Lifetime, Hayes explained.

Burbank, Calif.-based VT Media is producing a “Great Museums” series, and will manage the filming and production.

The company also will produce a 6- to 8-minute “corporate” video that can be used to show potential museum donors and educate the public about the library. Once completed, the video will be placed on the museum’s Web site, which is under construction by Fort Smith-based Kirkham Systems, Hayes explained.

Hayes said the first phase of the Web site should launch in mid-December, with the Web presence growing as new information is ready.

“This will take our message to a much larger audience almost overnight,” Hayes said of the television and Web efforts.

Part of reaching that audience includes converting a large conference room at the museum offices — located in the old Frisco train station in downtown Fort Smith — to a “vision room,” said Jim Dunn, the project director of the U.S. Marshals Museum.

The room will include information on planned exhibits and house audio/visual aids used to explain the museum concept to potential donors. The space will be available to privately host a lunch or dinner for a donor or group of potential donors, Dunn said.

“This is a great environment to sell the concept,” Dunn told the board.

Lance Heflin, a member of the museum board and a producer of the television show, “America’s Most Wanted,” made a donation “that will more than cover the cost” to develop the Web site, Dunn announced.

As if that is not enough, David Turk, historian for the U.S. Marshals Service, will be a guest on Turner Classic Movies as the cable channel shows four classic movies that involve the U.S. Marshals Service. The show is set to air at 8 p.m., Sept. 24, with Turk talking about the Service — to include comments about the museum effort — between breaks.