The Gardner Museum

Plan your visit

28 Pearl Street

The Gardner Museum is located in Gardner, MA, 50 miles northwest of Boston and just 2 miles off Route 2.

Gardner, MA 01440

US POSTAGE PAID Permit No. 66 Gardner, MA

Parking is available in the lot to the left of the museum building and on the street.

(978) 632-3277

opening hours: Wed-Sun 1 pm - 4 pm

[email protected]

The museum is closed on some holidays. For information please contact the museum.

website:

Non-Profit Organization

museum news

Issue 7 Winter/Spring 2017

The Gardner Museum 28 Pearl Street • Gardner, Massachusetts (978) 632-3277

www.gardnermuseuminc.com

e-mail: [email protected]

We are on Facebook!

Greetings from the president Dear Members, I hope this newsletter finds you well after a normal New England winter followed by February’s enormous snow falls. A big thank-you goes out to all museum members, members of the 21-club and our corporate sponsors for renewing your memberships and therefore keeping the museum’s operations going financially. I would like to extend a warm welcome to all new members of our museum family! Your gracious contributions will ensure the success of our organization and our outreach into the community. Before starting yet another busy year let me express my deepest gratitude to all the docents and volunteers who made our wellattended events & exhibits throughout the past year such a success. Our museum coordinator has once again worked her magic to find and schedule exciting programs for the upcoming year. On the following pages you can find the list for our Spring Lecture Series. Make sure to sign up for any events that interest you as they will fill up quickly, if the past is any indicator. The museum building is undergoing more renovation efforts and there are other exciting changes happening with our permanent collection. The MA Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) has decided to permanently close the Gardner Heritage State Park Visitor Center at 26 Lake St. They opened this facility, whose purpose was to interpret the history of the City of Gardner, 30 years ago, in 1986, but it has been closed, except for 2 summer seasons, since about 2001. The DCR Commissioner has been working with mayor Hawke and with the Gardner Montachusett Veterans Outreach Center, Inc. to reuse and occupy the building (a converted 1884 fire station). As part of this process, DCR had to empty the building of its exhibited contents and The Gardner Museum agreed to take ownership of all artifacts and exhibit items. After the transport we will accession all items and incorporate them into our permanent collection, making everything accessible to the public. Some will be on display right away, some will be incorporated in our changing displays. Several items will be temporarily displayed in the mayor’s office and the Chamber of Commerce office. At the museum, we will be able to display even more historic chairs, which are a collecting strength of the Gardner Museum, and one that sets it apart from all but a handful of other historic museums in the U.S. I look forward to greeting every one of you in the months ahead. Your president,

Scott

Huntoon

Media Notes Check us out on Facebook! Have a look, add a comment, send an image, ask a question! Thanks to our new webmaster Wendy Essery, our website is under construction. Soon, all necessary information will be easier to find online. Check it out often to see the changes! Last summer, our museum coordinator was busy gathering (and confirming) information about the Gardner Museum and its displayed artifacts. The compilation, including photographs, was then used for the production of a professional audio tour throughout all displayed collections. The audio tour is being hosted on a downloadable app. It is called “Uniguide audio tours with gps offline maps.” It provides free audio tours for museums, parks, campuses, downtowns, historical sites and other landmarks all across the US. Every museum visitor with a smart phone or tablet can download the app (for free), then download the tour in advance to avoid problems with spotty service -sorry, still no WiFi at the museum!-. Have fun listening to the ca. 30-min long tour (16 descriptions) while walking around the museum. We are aware that not everybody will be able to use this exciting new tool. The museum’s wish is still the donation of an iPad. The audio tour (and other museum related catalogs) would be downloaded onto the device and it would be available to visitors. Please consider supporting the Gardner Museum for the benefit of future visitor experiences. So, please think of us: when you upgrade to a new iPad, why not donate the old one? If you find a “buy 1 get 1” deal, why not consider donating the 2nd iPad? Another noteworthy digital improvement is the recent upgrade of our collection database program. Our museum coordinator has started the long process of reviewing the data entries going back to 1979.

Level of support: Student ($1), Individual ($20), Family ($30), Friend ($40), Sponsor ($50), Advocate ($75), Patron ($100), Corporate ($200), Supporter ($250), Contributor ($500), 21-Club ($250*), Benefactor ($1000+) The annual membership spans over a calendar year, from January to December 31.

Membership Information: T h e G a r d n e r M u s e u m ’s mission is the collection and preservation of material pertaining to the history of Gardner, and the sharing of knowledge and information relating to that history

Mission Statement

* We would like to take this opportunity to sincerely thank the 21Club members for their past and future support! In the past 20 years they have given over $100,000 to The Gardner Museum. We would like more museum members to join the 21-Club. This involves donating $250 per year for ten years. This is a non-binding commitment. If you fall on hard times or have other reasons, you simply skip a payment - no explanation needed. Thanks in advance to all future 21-Club members! No matter which membership type you choose, The Gardner Museum depends on member dues and contributions to provide the financial support for its survival. All membership categories, except Student and Individual, provide full membership for two adults and their children to the age of 18. Information about membership benefits is available at the museum.

Executive Board~ Scott Huntoon, President Michael Gerry, President Elect Michael Richard, Vice President Robert Venning, Treasurer Thomas Mailloux, Asst. Treasurer Janet Stankaitis, Rec. Secretary Jan Korhonen, Corres. Secretary Robert Treptow, Historian & Acq. Alan Dernalowicz, Past President Paul Harasimowicz, Trustee Rep John Korhonen, Trustee Rep

Trustees~ 2015-2018 Paul LeBlanc

Sherrill Murphy

Ronald Cormier

John Korhonen

Lois Treptow

Jackie Leger

Phil Jacques

Roger Tousignant

Trustees~ 2013-2016 Trine Aschim

Leonard Dorval

Mary Tourigny

Pamela Vallee

Jack Lesperance

Michele Turcotte

Sheila Murphy

Doris Forte

Trustees~ 2014-2017 Tanya Barnett

Jackie Kraskouskas

Nancy Dell

Patti Stone

Paul Harasimowicz

Barbara Tourigny

Victoria Kazinskas

Ann Young

Trustees Emeritus Helvi Palojarvi

Elizabeth Tarpey

The museum’s annual yard sale will take place on April 22, 2017. Please keep the museum in mind when cleaning out, downsizing, or moving. You can bring your donations into the museum at any time during regular opening hours. Despite the 2016 yard sale being a success, compared to previous years, we had less quality items that were donated to us. We made our profit from mostly $1 (or less) items. Although we are more than grateful for all your donations we would advise you for this year’s event to please keep in mind that many visitors/potential customers look for antiques and high quality items when they come to a museum tag sale. If you want to part with an item to the benefit of the museum, we can store it securely until April.

Festival of Trees revisited

Amazon Smile

The 12 th Annual Festival of Trees was once again a success. We continue to have support from visitors who have been coming for years as well as so many new visitors. We have interest from new people who want to donate in 2017. A special thanks to our Event Sponsors Carriage House Restaurant, Colonial Cooperative Bank, Heywood Hospital, Mack Family Funeral Homes, Mt. Wachusett Community College, Brideau Fuel and The Gardner News for supporting us. We are thankful to all the donors who were so creative. We again had promotional trees at Gardner Cinemas, Pampering Parlor and Chair City Oil and we thank them for allowing us to place trees in their businesses to advertise our fabulous event. Thank you, Mary Tourigny for setting up the promo trees.

Thanks to all members who supported the museum by doing their online Christmas shopping through AmazonSmile! The AmazonSmile Foundation issued a donation to the Gardner Museum as a result of YOUR activity (0.5% of the purchase amounts). Remember, AmazonSmile is a simple and automatic way for you to support us every time you shop. You use the same account on Amazon.com and AmazonSmile. On your 1st visit to smile.amazon.com you need to select a charitable organization to receive donations from eligible purchases before you begin shopping. Make sure to select “Gardner Museum Inc, Gardner, MA” as there are other organizations with similar names.

My personal thanks to the Festival committee for their help and to Scott Huntoon for moving all the tables in place for the baskets & smaller trees. Thanks also to those who baked cookies for kickoff night and to the docents and ticket sellers who gave of their holiday time to assist us. A big thank-you also to the student volunteers who helped on tree pickup day. It really does take a village to present the Festival and we hope more members will volunteer their time. Please also consider volunteering for other aspects of the Festival of Trees which were outlined on back of membership letter.

The Gardner Museum is still a place to donate for various community needs: Recycle your old phone, help a veteran and reduce the impact on landfills! We collect them for “Cell Phones for Soldiers”, a national nonprofit organization dedicated to providing cost-free communication services and emergency funding to active-duty military members and veterans. The museum is also a collection site for eye glasses for the Gardner Lions Club.

Janet Stankaitis Festival Chairperson

Museum Coordinator Marion Knoll

Newsletter Editor Marion Knoll

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Winter Coat Drive revisited Thanks again to everybody who donated much needed winter clothes to the annual Worcester County Sheriff’s Office Coat Drive. All donations were received by the Gardner CAC.

Communtiy Outreach

2017 Spring Exhibit:

Victoria broke with tradition in 1840 when she got married in an all white gown. Previous to that, royal brides wore various colored gowns for their wedding. This all white tradition swept the US, and by the 1900’s brides preferred the all white gowns, instead of what was worn previous to that, their Sunday best. The oldest gown on display will be from 1870, and then gowns from all the decades up to the present, accompanied by headpieces. Come and see the progression of wedding gown design through today!

during regular museum opening hours.

April 22 - no reservation needed, free event

Exclusion and Inclusion in American History and Culture - Professor Ben Railton will discuss his four books and online public scholarship on the tension at the heart of American indentity.

Annual Indoor Yard Sale 9 am-noon Find a new-to-you treasure among the antiques, jewelry, linens, decorative and useful items!

April 27

As in the past, please call or e-mail the museum to sign up for all the events. The programs will still run from 7-8 PM, after a museum-hosted reception from 6:30-7 PM.

Bones in the Basement - Another presentation by author Joni Mayhan about Gardner’s haunted Victorian mansion. Back again due to an overwhelming interest in 10/2015 and 3/2016. This event will include information about the current state of renovations in the historic building.

March 9

May 1- no reservation needed

Irish Step Dancers - Get into the mood for St. Patrick’s Day once again with Anne O’Connell’s Irish Step Dancers, showcasing jigs, reels, trebles and more.

Annual Meeting - It offers everybody a chance to come together to debate today’s most relevant topics and elect new board members.

March 16

May 4

Abolition in the Underground Railroad in the Greater Gardner Area - It was recently confirmed that Gardner was an Underground Railroad stop! Local History buff Carla Charter will present the fruits of her extensive research on this topic.

Electric Fire - Assumption College science professor Eric Howe will give a (literally) sparking presentation about the work of Ebenezer Kinnersley, an 18th century scientist, inventor and lecturer, specializing in the investigation of static electricity.

2017 Events

April 6

A Week in Haiti - Newspaper Photographer Christine Hochkeppel will share her impressions and photographs chronicling her travels with Forward in Health’s medical relief mission to Les Cayes shortly after Hurricane Matthew.

April 13

The museum re-opens its doors with a beautiful display of stained and fused glass. Most of the pieces come from Toy Town Stained Glass in Winchendon. You will be able to meet some of the artists at the opening reception on March 2 from 6-8 pm which is open to the public – no reservation needed. Three beautiful door prizes will be given away on that night.

The Diaries of Aaron Greenwood Presentation by Chris Daly about Aaron Greenwood (1813-1897), Gardner’s 1st engineer and surveyor who kept many journals detailing his activities and those of the town.

2017 Summer Exhibit:

Update on the Heroin/Opioid Epidemic - A representative from the Worcester County Sheriff’s Office will give an update on the local drug situation. Information about the local law enforcement strategic response

The 2017 summer exhibit will show wedding gowns from a personal collection. Queen

will include the successful program Face2Face that reaches many students each year.

April 20

May 18 (free event) Annual Hervey Bowden Essay Contest Awards Night. High School students explore local and regional historic topics. The winning research paper receives a $250 award tonight. 3 finalists will read their essays. 7-8 pm Program/Awards

May 25 Edible Wild Plants of the Northeast program runs for 90 minutes! Naturalist and educator John Root will introduce you to the identification, culinary uses and medicinal value of wild plants in the region. He will teach what you should or should not eat while in the woods. Event sponsored by a MA Cultural Council grant.

May 31 Summer Exhibit “Vintage Wedding Gowns” opens. The exhibit will run until Labor Day

June 1

Museum rental Looking for a place to host your next memorable event? Located in the historic heart of Gardner, our museum provides a beautiful backdrop to make your event perfectly remarkable. Looking to really impress? Then encourage your guests to explore the museum’s three floors of historic collections before, during, or after your event for an experience they won’t soon forget. We can accommodate everything from small meetings and intimate gatherings to wedding receptions and corporate gatherings. For details about museum rental please contact Marion Knoll during regular museum opening hours.

Gift Shop News Not only do our permanent artifact displays and exhibits change, we also constantly add items to our gift shop. Check it out!

Newsletter Newsletter editor: Marion Knoll. Many thanks go to our contributors, our proofreaders and our publisher, Expressive Print & Promotion in Ashburnham, MA. If you’d like to contribute any news or item of interest to our newsletter, simply send an e-mail to [email protected]. Through the newsletter, museum members will always be the first to know about upcoming exhibits, receptions, programs or whatever else we dream up. If you are still receiving your newsletter in the mail, please consider registering for our beautiful full-color e-mail version. Thanks to all members who have already included their e-mail address in their membership return-envelope. Thanks for helping us save some trees and reduce the cost of printing! The Gardner Museum respects your privacy! Your e-mail address will only be used to provide you with our museum news, we will not “spam” your address or sell or share your information.

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