POULSBO — At the end of August, Poulsbo Historical Society curator Erica Varga will bid farewell to Little Norway as she turns the page in her career.
In a May 17 press release, the society wrote, “(The) Poulsbo Historical Society announced today the resignation of Erica Varga as the Poulsbo Historical Society Curator and its intention to seek a person to act as director.”
Varga has served as curator since 2005 and has been a driving force in the opening of the Martinson Cabin, coordinating a diverse volunteer group and developing and maintaining artifacts, photos, a database and teaching aids, it stated.
“Erica is leaving the Poulsbo Historical Society to pursue other interests and will officially terminate her position in August of 2007,” it stated.
The change in title from curator to director is one Varga said the society needs at the current time.
“What the society needs is a director and not as much as curator,” she said. “It needs someone who work on public outreach and fund raising.”
Once the society’s dreams of a museum come to fruition, then Varga said it will be in a position to hire a curator.
Varga was hired in July 2005 on a four-month contract with the society to inventory its holdings, but she ended up staying well beyond the end of that first period.
“Poulsbo does need a place to exhibit its holdings and preserve it,” she said. “That’s what upsets me so much.”
After seeing how many artifacts and other historic treasures local residents have in storage, Varga said the need for a museum has never been greater.
The Martinson Cabin has allowed some of those pieces to be displayed, but a museum would, resolve many of the collections problems facing the society, she said.
Along the way, seven local teens came to Varga’s aid, which makes the PHS unique from its counterparts throughout the state, she said.
“I don’t know of any other historical society that uses teenagers for inventorying, graphic design or collections,” Varga said. “It’s going to be hard to leave them.”
The PHS curator title is just one of the many hats Varga wears as she also works for the Naval Underwater Warfare Museum at Keyport.
“This is just a part-time job,” she said. “It feels like I’m being pulled in too many different directions.”
As she prepares to leave the society, Varga said she has two major tasks she wants to complete before the end of summer.
“I want to make sure the Martinson Cabin has policies and interactive aids and get everything in collections into the computer,” she said.
PHS president Bob Hawkinson said he is sorry to see Varga leave after her two years with the society.
“Erica has been a critical player in our society’s growth and operational activities,” Hawkinson said. “We commend her for her expertise. She will be sorely missed.”
