Wanapum Heritage Center

Summary

When: 2005-2008
Company: Wanapum Heritage Center museum and repository of Grant County Public Utility District (GCPUD)
My role: Student Intern

While finishing my Art History bachelor’s degree at the University of Washington, my internship was with the Wanapum Heritage Center, a Native American cultural center operated by the GCPUD. I spent my time photographing, cataloging, and archiving artifacts in the museum’s repository situated within the depths of a climate controlled space of the Wanapum hydroelectric dam on the Columbia River. The windowless, concrete room constantly hummed from the vibration of the turbines.

In December of 2005, it was decided that the Heritage Center needed it’s own website. Thus far the only web representation was one page on the GCPUD website. I offered to learn and create the website myself. Thus began my journey from the art world to that of design and technology.

I designed, developed, and maintained the first website for the Wanapum Heritage Center, and increased their online presence exponentially. Furthermore, I created most and edited all of the website content. Due to the elementary and scholarly audience, I audited using the Fog Index to ensure appropriate content for target ages.

Above is an image of the first website I designed and developed.