Quilt exhibit opens tonight!

Here are some highlights from the new Keller Gallery exhibit A Stitch in Time!

It opens TONIGHT with a free reception from 6:00 to 8:00 PM. Brave the snow and come join us!

New video of the museum!

Check out this fantastic video made by Kathy Gray of the Canton/Stark County Convention and Visitors Bureau! (She also happens to be a mom and a museum member!)

We're ready!

I completed all the finishing touches on the quilt exhibit A Stitch in Time this morning. We are READY for our opening tomorrow night!

Hopefully the snow will stay away from us...

The exhibit features 17 quilts and 7 coverlets ranging from 1837 to 2005. There is a nice mix of styles, colors and patterns.

And it is fantastic to see them all unfurled together, for the first time! While working on them, I rarely had any of them spread out fully, and I certainly didn't see them next to each other.

I'm excited to bring you yet another exhibit that was inspired by our amazing and wonderful permanent collection!

Almost done!

All of the quilts and coverlets have been hung! All the labels are printed. I have to hang the panels, add a few object labels and that's IT!

The FREE exhibit opening will be this Friday night from 6:00 to 8:00. The exhibit turned out great -- I'm excited to share it with all of you!!

Quilt exhibit progress

Here are some photos of the installation in progress...





We were able to plan out where each quilt will go today, which is a huge achivement by itself!

I laid out the quilts that will be hung from the ceiling in the center of the gallery so I could measure each length. They are folded in half to save a little space. I laid them out on clean sheets to protect them from any dirt that might be on the floor from moving out the dollhouses and their cases.

We are in good shape!

Quilt installation this week!

OK, so normally I would have had an exhibit that opens on Friday night almost finished by now.

However, it is difficult to coordinate the schedule of several dollhouse owners, so it took awhile to get all of the houses returned to their homes!

The Keller Gallery is now ready to install quilts!

The installation should go rather quickly, since there was a lot of advanced prep work -- sewing sleeves, cutting rods to size, pre-cutting the hanging wires, etc. So over the next few days, we just have to hang them.

I'm excited to open this exhibit, and I know you're going to love it!!!

Dollhouse exhibit is closed :-(

It has been a lot of fun, and it certainly has been popular!

But we can't leave the same exhibit up forever...



There are only a few dollhouses left in the Keller Gallery. They will be picked up in the coming days to make room for the quilts.

Thank you to everyone who came to see the exhibit!

And thank you to all the people who loaned their wonderful houses for the show. I am planning another one for October 2012. If you have a dollhouse you'd like to loan, let me know and I'll send you an application!

I'm excited about the exhibits coming up in the Keller Gallery, but it is sad to say goodbye to such a fun exhibit!

President's Day!

Come to the Museum on Monday February 15 for President's Day!

There will be activities all day long, including McKinley Gallery focus tours, science shows, our second annual Twister Party, and much more! We will be selling pizza for lunch and tornado-themed snacks -- plus deep-fried Oreos!

We'll be open 9:00 - 4:00. Hope to see you there!

Snow!

This is the scene in the garden through the Library windows:



It is our octagonal picnic table, which now resembles a wedding cake!

Peanuts...Naturally

I just booked Peanuts...Naturally, an exciting new traveling exhibition from the Charles M. Shultz Museum for May - August 2014!

Click here to learn more about the exhibit (you will have to click on "Exhibitions" and then "Traveling Exhibibition Rentals"). We will be hosting the smaller version, because the larger version is too big for the Keller Gallery.

The exhibit uses Peanuts comics to explore environmental themes, including The Universe, The Elements, Trees Glorious Trees, Charlie Brown and the EPA, and How Does Your Garden Grow?

There will be lots of opportunities for science camps, workshops and classes that summer! And I think our summer tourists and visitors will really enjoy it.

So add that to the Keller Gallery plans!

Museum closed today -- Movie Night still on!

The museum is closed today and the phone system is acting up so we cannot put a message on it about the movie tonight NOT being canceled!

Hopefully you will all check the blog or our Facebook page for more information.

Apparently by the time the museum would have been plowed out, it would have been too late to open. But we expect the plow to come through sometime today before the movie webcast.

So plan to come on out!

Link to watch movie webcast

If you aren't able to make it to our showing of McKinley Wars, you can view it by clicking here at 8:00 PM on Saturday February 6!

If you can come, the cost is $2 per person. We will be screening it in the Auditorium, and our popcorn machine will be churning out snacks for purchase! It should be a lot of fun!

Keller Gallery plans 2010-2013

I have finalized my list of exhibitions for the Keller Gallery for the next 3 years plus!

Drum roll please.......

2010

• Life in Miniature through February 15
• A Stitch in Time (quilt exhibit) February 26 - June 6
• The Victorian Age (late 19th century artifacts and dresses) June 18 - Nov 21
• White House Gardens (SITES traveling exhibit) Dec 3 - Jan 20, 2011

2011

• Celebrating the Sixties (1960s artifacts) February - May
• Rock the Green Revolution (cool SITES exhibit about renewable energy -- we will purchase the plans and build it here out of recycled materials!) June - October
• "Holiday Traditions" (working title -- history of Christmas) November - January 2012

2012

• "Entertainment in Stark County" (working title -- highlights will include Meyers Lake, resaturants, opera houses, etc) February - June
• "Flags" (working title -- red, white and blue or patriotic artifacts from our collection) July - September
• "Dollhouse exhibit" (working title - with different dollhouses!) October - February 2013

2013

• "Su Nimon" (working title -- featuring photographer/artist Su Nimon's photos of Canton) February - May
• White House Horses, The West Wing, and James Hoban: White House Archictect (a trio of traveling exhibitions from the White House Historical Association) May - October
• Colors! (artifacts and costumes grouped by color) November - March 2014

Of course, plans and dates are always subject to change. But as of right now, these are my plans for the Keller Gallery!

Feel free to suggest titles for the topics listed as "working title" -- it's important to provide a catchy title to get people to come see it!

Dinosaur puzzle cookie cutter!

Check out this cool new thing in the Museum Shoppe!





I just bought one for my nephew who loves puzzles, dinosaurs and baking! Perfect!

Storage building update!

Here are some more photos of our construction, again courtesy of Steve!

Bridal Show invitation

I just sent the file for the Bridal Show invitation to the printer, but you can have it NOW!

Click on the images below for all the information you need to make reservations for the show on Saturday April 10. It has filled up in past years, so make your reservations today!!

Beautiful quilt poem

I just found this lovely poem while researching some of the quilt patterns. I am planning to blow it up and give it its own panel in the quilt exhibit!

Just wanted to share it!

In a Museum
By Carrie A. Hall

Rare old quilt, of faded hue—
Once a bride’s most precious treasure
Hidden in her dower-chest.
Loving hands that fashioned you
Stitch by stitch, in careful measure
Long ago, are now at rest.

Your patches tell a wondrous story
Of treasured scraps and handicraft;
Of love and home, and dreams come true.
For honored guests your pattern’d glory,
Enfolding them, caressing, soft—
And baby hands have lightly touched you.

Now you’re worth your weight in gold;
To lie in state your only duty,
In pleasant ways your lot is cast
And to the world your tale is told.
To those who love your patterned beauty
You re-create the fragrant past.

Published in The Romance of the Patchwork Quilt by Carrie A. Hall and Rose Kretsinger, 1935