Soon after the Erotic Heritage Museum opened on August 2, 2008, it became an important member of the Las Vegas museum community. Under the leadership of Director/Manager/Curator Laura Henkel, the museum grew to fill a significant void as a historical resource, its artifact and archival collections respected as subjects of serious academic study.
Henkel established collaborative outreach not only with traditional institutions such as the University of Nevada, Las Vegas and the Nevada State Museum, but with such unconventional organizations as the Sin Sity Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, the Desiree Alliance, and the Insurgo Theater Movement. It was this broad outreach–powered by Henkel’s public relations prowess–that made the Erotic Heritage Museum both a valuable educational resource and a popular attraction with an international reputation.
Henkel also managed a feat few institutions have achieved: by producing well attended art exhibits, fundraising banquets, panel discussions and other public events. Henkel supported the museum’s educational resources with a dependable revenue stream.
Dennis McBride, former Executive Director, Nevada State Museum
Above Featured Image: Special event captured by Jenna Black