The Work

Department of Arkansas Heritage

The Mosaic Templars of America was an influential African-American fraternal organization founded in Little Rock in 1882 by two former slaves. In 1913, the Mosaic Templars dedicated its international headquarters at the corner of West Ninth Street and Broadway in the heart of Little Rock’s black business district. In 2003, the Department of Arkansas Heritage (DAH) acquired ownership of the historic structure to save it from demolition and began renovations to create the Mosaic Templars Cultural Center, the state’s first museum dedicated solely to Arkansas’ post-Civil War African-American heritage. Two years into the renovation, a fire completely destroyed the structure. With a multimillion-dollar grant, DAH began construction of a new building on the site of the original structure. The Mosiac Templars Cultural Center opened its doors in September 2008. Mangan Holcomb executed the media relations efforts to maximize news coverage of the historic grand opening.

The museum’s cultural and historical significance generated tremendous media interest. The grand-opening festivities included five distinct, newsworthy events from July through September, including the arrival in Little Rock of members of the last remaining active Mosaic Templars chapter from Barbados on Sept. 17. Mangan Holcomb’s efforts garnered these impressive results:

• More than 3,000 people toured the Mosaic Templars Cultural Center on opening day.
  
• From July through September, the museum generated 2.4 million total media impressions in print publications in Arkansas and the region.
  
• 13 online newspapers in nine states covered the festivities, as did numerous national and international online news services.
  
• The events resulted in 1.8 million media impressions in statewide and regional TV coverage.
  
• Mangan Holcomb also secured coverage of the grand-opening gala in each of Little Rock’s society publications, including the highly coveted “High Profile” section of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, which featured gala chairwoman Dr. Erma Glasco Davis.
  

Put the power of ideas to work for you! To learn more, email Sharon Tallach Vogelpohl.

< Back to Work Listings