3x3 Science Samplers!

Today was the last day of our 3x3 Science Samplers!

They were all filled to capacity, which was fantastic. Here are some photos of today's group:

Bring Your Doll to Tea!

What a fun time we all had!

The little girls were just ADORABLE in their fancy dresses. Some were even dressed like their dolls!

It was also a very busy day at the Museum. In addition to our Tea with the Curator, today was the last day of the 3x3 Science Samplers. AND we had a cub scout group here for a field trip. Plus our regular visitors. All of our parking lots were full!

Here are some pictures of the Tea!


Making a pin craft


Being very grown up with our tea


Fancy outfit for a fancy occasion!

Having a good time!

Reading the story

Touring the dollhouse exhibit and doing our scavenger hunts

A group photo!

Quilt exhibit on international list

Just wanted to share that my upcoming quilt exhibit is listed here in the company of several other major quilt exhibitions!

Today I heard from a staff writer for American Patchwork & Quilting magazine who wants to inlcude the exhibit in an online slide show featuring spring 2010 quilt exhibits.

I'm very excited about the exposure the exhibit is already receiving!

Upcoming events at the museum in 2010

If you see something you'd like to attend, call 330-455-7043 and make a reservation!

January 11
Tea with the Curator: "Bridal Fashions"
Learn more about the history of wedding gowns. Presented by Kim Kenney. $10 per person, pre-paid reservations required

January 27
Coffee & Crafts: "Computer Crafting"
Lynn Weber, scrapbooker and photo editor, will demonstrate how your computer can help you in your crafting. Lynn will lead you through the process of digitally designing two crafts to be printed out and assembled. $15 per person, pre-paid reservations required

January 30
McKinley Day
Celebrate the President's birthday with a full day of activities. Special price $5 per person (Members FREE)
Wreath Ceremony will be held at 3:00 PM

February 14
Life in Miniature exhibit CLOSES
Last day to view the dollhouses in the Keller Gallery!

February 15
President's Day
A perfect day to visit your local presidential library!

February 18
Soup at Six: "Roaring Twenties Review"
Presented by Chris Kenney and Kim Kenney. Dazzle your senses with a jazzy look at America's favorite decade! Kim will present a slide program about life in the 1920s, infused with period piano music played by Chris! $10 per person, pre-paid reservations required

February 24
Coffee & Crafts: "Goodies from the Hearth"
Director of Education Christopher Kenney will lead a hands-on baking workshop at the Museum's hearth. Participants will make apple pie and donuts. Chris will also explain the tools and methods of cooking over an open hearth. $15 per person, pre-paid reservations required

February 26
EXHIBIT OPENING: A Stitch in Time: Highlights from the Museum's Quilt & Coverlet Collections
View beautifully crafted quilts and coverlets from the Museum's collection, dating back as far as the 1840s! The exhibit will include crazy quilts, traditional patterns, coverlets woven by itinerant weavers, and commemorative McKinley campaign quilts.
Free exhibit opening from 6:00 to 8:00 PM

March 8
Tea with the Curator: "Hearth & Home"
Join Curator Kim Kenney as she explores domestic life in the past, with a focus on cooking, cleaning, crafting, and dining. $10 per person, reservations required

March 13
History Day
Region 5 competition for National History Day.

March 18
Soup at Six: "On the Move: The Early Auto Industry in Stark County"
Join Director of Education Christopher Kenney for a look at Stark County's role in the early years of the automobile. Explore early manufacturers like Jewell and Holmes to the County's involvement with Henry Ford. $10 per person, reservations required

March 24
Coffee & Crafts: "Beading Chain"
Participants will have their choice of making a sterling silver or gold filled beaded necklace with crystal. Kathy from the Bead Boutique will be our instructor for this class. $20 per person, pre-paid reservations required

April 10
BRIDAL SHOW!
Join us for an elegant brunch and style show featuring 100 years of bridal fashion! $30 per person, pre-paid reservations required

Back to work!

I'm back to work after a few days off for the holidays! Chris and I went to New York to visit our families. Unfortunately our trip was cut short by one day due to lake effect snow. But we enjoyed the time we did have with those we love.

Today I've been getting ready for the big Tea with the Curator: Bring Your Doll to Tea tomorrow! We've got a full house, so I'm excited about that! We're making pins with flowers and gems as our craft. We'll have tea, read the story Fancy Nancy Goes to the Museum, then up to the Keller Gallery for a special scavenger hunt in the dollhouse exhibit! Should be a lot of fun.

I've also been busy with marketing projects today. I made a new calendar for the lobby -- it is unreal how many programs and events we have coming up in the next three months! (I will post that list next) I also designed a postcard for the quilt exhibit and a flyer for McKinley Day.

I'm about to make up the scavenger hunt clipboards. Then I'll see if I can help set up for tomorrow.

Busy time at the museum! We still have Christmas trees up, so come in and see us! We're closed New Year's Day, but we're open New Year's Eve and all weekend!

Quilt exhibit preview

Coming soon to the Keller Gallery!

A Stitch in Time: Highlights from the Quilt and Coverlet Collections opens on Friday February 26, 2010!

Here are just a few of the quilts that will be on exhibit:

McKinley Day 2010

I know it's not until January, but plans for McKinley Day are underway!

Please plan to join us on Saturday January 30, 2010 as we celebrate the President's birthday with a day full of family-friendly programs and activities.

Here are some more highlights from years past:

Getting ready for the next Tea!

Today I'm getting ready for the SOLD OUT Tea with the Curator: "Bring Your Doll to Tea" on December 30!

We are going to be making fancy pins as our craft, so I am making up packets of supplies for the kids. I purchased fancy gems, and we have several small flowers to use as well. The pins are either oval shaped, or shaped like a teapot!

We're going to be reading the story Fancy Nancy Goes to the Museum. Afterwards we are going to tour the Keller Gallery dollhouse exhibit Life in Miniature! I will show them some of my favorites, and then we'll work on a special Scavenger Hunt I designed yesterday just for this Tea!

Science Director Lynnette Reiner is also doing 3x3 Science Camps that week -- the first two dates are filled, but there are still 2 slots open on December 30 for "Gross Science." Call the museum at 330-455-7043 to reserve a spot!

Chris's segment on CTC's Christmas show

My segment on CTC's Christmas show

More building pics

Thanks to Steve for taking these photos of the building construction!

My kitty

UPDATE: We had to have Brandy put to sleep last Thursday. It has been the most painful and difficult experience of my life, and we feel her absence in a million ways every day. She was one of a kind, and there will never be another cat like her.

"It is a fearful thing to love what death can touch." (Anonymous)




Yesterday I found out that my sweet precious Brandy has cancer.

It was a terrible shock, even though we knew she had been losing weight. But we only noticed it about a week ago.

She only has a few weeks to live, and we are just devastated. She has been the most well-behaved, fun, loving, sweet kitty I have ever met in my entire life. There is only ONE of her, and I am going to miss her so much.

Even though it's Christmastime, my heart isn't really in it anymore. We've canceled our trip to New York to spend Christmas with our families, because we just can't leave Brandy alone.

The Museum had a wonderful Holiday Open House, and since we didn't know then what we know now, Chris and I had a great time.

I am struggling to come to terms with everything that is happening, and trying not to drown in my sadness.

I continue to do my best in my job, but everything is a bit sluggish for the time being. Brandy is all I can think about.

I want anyone who reads this who has a pet to go and hug him or her right now. Overlook a few things and don't yell at them. Pet them, love them, and make sure they know how much you care about them. And I hope you never have to hear the news we heard yesterday. Ever.

Open House TONIGHT!

I hope you will be able to join us for our Holiday Open House TONIGHT (December 4) from 6:00 - 8:00 PM.

Members are FREE and guests are just $5!

Enjoy complimentary cookies, live holiday music, samples from the open hearth, and of course -- SANTA!

Please bring a non-perishable food item for local food banks with you when you come.

See you tonight!

Construction Update!

The photos are not working for some reason. Please check back later to see the slide show!

**************

Thank you to Steve for taking these photos yesterday! This is what it looks like behind our building as construction continues on our new storage facility!

(You may have to wait a second before the photos appear!)

Visit www.moblyng.com to make your own!

Are you our fan on Facebook?

A few months ago we started a fan site on Facebook. Over the weekend we reached over 200 fans! We're excited that our fan base have grown so quickly.

If you're on Facebook, considering becoming a fan. Learn more about what's going on at the museum, interact with staff, and post your own photos of the museum!

So far the discussion is pretty quiet -- so stop by and say hi!

(There is a link to our page on the right side of this blog!)

New message repeaters in the Street of Shops

It irks me when I walk through the Street of Shops and find an audio tour babbling on and on and no one is in sight listening to it!

It isn't the visitor's fault -- most of the audio programs are just too long.

So we are making some changes to fix that.

Each site in the Street of Shops that has a button will soon have one unit with multiple buttons so visitors can choose what topic they would like to learn more about.

For example, the new buttons for the Cabin will be:

• Life as a Pioneer


• The Homestead


• Open Hearth Cooking


• Sewing, Knitting and Weaving

Each program will be less than one minute, to encourage visitors to listen to the whole thing.

So far I have written new scripts for the Cabin, Dannemiller Store, Print Shop, Hotel Lobby and the Saloon.

I am planning to create scripts for a few spots that currently do not have buttons:

• Toy Shop


• Hotel Lobby (done!)


• Saloon (done!)


• Fire Station


• Gas Station


• Pharmacy

The funding for this new project was made possible by donors to our annual Capital & Replacement Campaign. Thank you so much!

We will begin recording the new scripts soon. Look for them after the first of the year!

Happy Thanksgiving to all!

I love Thanksgiving.


It's a time to sit back and think about everything I am thankful for. And believe me, I have a whole list of things I am grateful for. To name just one, I am lucky enough to have a fulfilling career and a job that I love.


This year has been a tough one for so many people. I hope that in the days and months ahead, things get better for our community and for our country.

In spite of the economy, the Museum has enjoyed higher attendance rates for most months this year. We have been working hard to bring you new exhibits and programs. And we are seeing the fruits of our labor pay off in sold out progams and events.

So I guess one of the things I am most thankful for is the community of Canton, Ohio, and your unending enthusiasm for the Museum. You are not only signing up for things, you are out there talking to your friends about what we do, and it means so much to all of us that you care so much about the Museum.

I believe that no matter what is going on in your life, everyone has something to be thankful for. And if you stop to think about what that might be, whatever you're going through might not seem so bad.

If you know anything about history, you know everything happens in cycles. Flu epidemics come and go. The economy crashes and recovers. Wars start. Wars end. History is a wonderful teacher. It shows us how we can emerge on the other side smarter, stronger and better for the lessons we have learned.

Enjoy your Thanksgiving. Eat as much turkey as you can, and be thankful for the meal on your table. There are so many people suffering, right in our own community. Think of ways you can make a difference this holiday season. As always, the Museum is requesting that guests bring a non-perishable food donation for local food banks to our Holiday Open House on Friday December 4. Every little bit helps!!

We have enough dresses!

Thank you to everyone who called to offer their wedding gown for our Bridal Show in April!

We have met our goal of 45 dresses, and they spread out nicely across the decades!

Look for more information soon about purchasing tickets and donating baskets or gift cards for our pre-party raffle.

Day After Thanksgiving program

Click on the program to see everything we've got planned for Friday!

World Premiere of The McKinley Wars!

As promised, here are the highlights of the World Premiere of The McKinley Wars from last Saturday night!

Visit www.moblyng.com to make your own!

View CTC clip about the Museum

CTC is now on YouTube!

Click here to see the Museum's latest segment. Susie Vitale interviewed me about the new exhibits we have, including The Stark County Story and Life in Miniature.

Please take a minute to check it out. They are anxious to see how many people will view the show online, since some of the cable channels where the show previously aired are no longer available.

I am hoping they reach a ton of people this way!

NEW COMMERCIAL!!

Click on the video below to watch our NEW COMMERCIAL, produced by Jim Gerren of Nightwine Productions!!

(Yes, the famous Jim Gerren from our Movie Camp!)

Tea with the Curator: "The History of Dollhouses"

We had a great time this morning at the Tea!

Here are some photos of the event.

(The Movie Camp premiere was Saturday night and I have photos to post of that, but I left my camera card at home! I will do that this week, I promise!)

Up on the roof....

I was just up on the roof with Steve looking at the new construction of our storage building!

It was a bit unexpected and spontaneous that I ended up on the roof, so I didn't have my camera with me. Special thanks to Steve for capturing these images on his cell phone! (You may have to wait a second or two for the photos to load)

Visit www.moblyng.com to make your own!

School tours of the new exhibit

Now that the new Stark County Story exhibit is open, things are really gearing up in the Education Department!

Here are some photos of the first Ohio & You: Stark County Then & Now program done by Museum Teacher Mark Holland:

This program has been revised to utilize the new exhibit.

The docents are all doing wonderful as they learn the new tour. Chris has spent more than a year preparing for the new education programs, and teachers are loving what they see!

We need wedding dresses!

Believe it or not, we're starting to plan the Bridal Show in April 2010! We have our first committee meeting this week.

We are looking for bridal gowns to feature in our show. We have 24, so we're looking for about 20 more.

If you know someone who would be interested in loaning their dress for the show, please have them call me at 330-455-7043.

THANK YOU!

New storage building!

Work has begun on our new conservation gallery and storage building! (Of course work on this project HAS been going on for more than a year -- it's just not the kind of work that you can SEE!)

The Museum was closed yesterday while our electrical system was upgraded in anticipation of the new addition to our building.

The new building will be located behind our current building and will be accessible to staff and volunteers through the second floor.

Our collection has grown so much over the past few years, we have run out of space! This project is one of many things funded by our Capital Campaign.

Thank you to all who made this possible!

Museum featured in The Suburbanite

Click here to read an feature story about the Museum that appeared in The Suburbanite!

Dollhouse program is finished!

I have just completed the program for the next Tea with the Curator on the history of dollhouses! (November 16 at 10:00 AM -- call for reservations!)

What a fun program to work on! Lots of little things to explore...

We will learn about the history of dollhouses from ancient Egypt to the present, and how the miniature world has transformed from a hobby into an art form!

We will look in-depth at Queen Mary's Dolls' House, Colleen Moore's Fantasy Castle, and John Zweifel's Miniature White House.

The program will conclude with a tour of the Keller Gallery exhibition Life in Miniature, featuring 23 dollhouses and roomboxes borrowed from the community and from the museum's collection.

It's going to be a lot of fun!

Goodbye Lisa!

Today is Lisa Lazar's last day at the Museum. We are going to miss her!

She has been the Assistant Office Manager for quite a few years. She is leaving us for a job with more hours at the hospital.

Although we will miss her, we are excited for her new opportunity.

Good luck Lisa!

Tea with the Curator -- History of Dollhouses

What FUN this program has been to research!

I'm having a blast reading through old miniatures magazines to prepare my program for the next Tea.

If you'd like to come, please call soon because there are only about 10 spots left! The Tea will be November 16 at 10:00 AM. You can call 330-455-7043 to make a reservation. Cost is $10 per person and includes breakfast sweets, a program and a tour of the dollhouse exhibit.

It will be a lot of fun!

Rest of bequest

I neglected to mention yesterday that Alice Embly also left us her collection of about 50 butter pats (small plates used to serve butter at an individual place setting), a petticoat candlestick, and a Rockingham spaniel and lion!

Very nice bequest, and we are thankful for receiving it.

Zoar corner cupboard

Today we picked up a Zoar corner cupboard that was left to us as a bequest from Alice Barbara Embly of Canton.

It works PERFECTLY in the Cabin in the Street of Shops, so we put the smaller one that was in the Cabin in storage and replaced it with this one.

It allowed us to display the early china collection more prominently. Look for it next time you visit the Museum.

Although I never met her, thank you Alice!!

What's been going on

It's been a while since I posted anything, so I thought I'd let you all know what I've been up to.

Once an exhibit is finished, I have some time to work on the collection. I have a small team of dedicated volunteers and an intern that help behind the scenes all the time. I am thankful for all their hard work! We need to get through our cataloging backlog so the Accessions Office isn't quite so full and cluttered with new donations.

So this week I have been catching up.

We had a 14 year old "intern" from Portage Montesori shadowing us this week, so I used him to help record some of the artifacts used in the 1950s kitchen in The Stark County Story. I have to change the database location for everything we put in the new exhibit. I had a list for most of it, but I just put what "looked good" in the kitchen! Now everything is recorded and must be changed in the database.

We have been plugging away at the textile donations as well. My intern Sarah and I finally undressed the mannequins from this summer and put away all the dresses and jewelry they were wearing.

This morning we are going to pick up a bequest of a Zoar corner cupboard and various china and glassware, including a butter pat collection. I am bringing boxes and bubble wrap with me, but I have no idea if it will be enough! Let's hope so.

I've had a compatibility issue with Print Shop and my new computer that has been causing it to freeze. Very annoying. I ordered the newest version in hopes that it will fix whatever the problem is. Chris and I tried so many different combinations of scenarios to try to figure it out! We thought it was a corrupt file folder, but that turned out to be wrong.

I discovered yesterday that my new Outlook account has French as the only option in spell check! Interesting. Guess what Microsoft's solution is?? UPGRADE TO VISTA. That ain't gonna happen, so I will live with it.

I am also working on my program for the next Tea with the Curator on the history of dollhouses and miniatures. Talk about fun research! :-) There are still some spots left in that Tea, so call now and sign up! It is Monday November 16 at 10:00 AM.

I did a newsboy ad for the Repository to promote our holiday events and I sent the Christmas card to print.

So I've been busy behind the scenes this week!!

Dollhouse Scavenger Hunt!!

Come view the dollhouse exhibit and see how many of these things you can find!

(Scavenger Hunt sheets with clipboards are available for your use in the Keller Gallery)