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2001 Letters Archives |   |
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Read the Current Monthly Letters (click on a month to read a letter) December 2001 November 2001 October 2001 September 2001 August 2001 July 2001 June 2001 May 2001 April 2001 March 2001 February 2001 January 2001 December 5, 2001 - Leland, Michigan Dear Friend of the Leelanau Historical Society, It is 54 degrees and there is a driving rain in Leland this morning. I have heard reports from volunteers that their roses and forsythia are in bloom. Despite the April-like conditions, we are in the holiday spirit here at the Museum. Our annual Museum Store holiday sale kicked-off this past Friday, and will continue this coming weekend. This year's Museum holiday card, created by Leland artist Jean Lang and available only at the Museum Store, is a unique depiction of Fishtown in winter. Yesterday's Tomorrows: Past Visions of the American Future, the Smithsonian traveling exhibition on display until December 31, continues to draw old and new audiences to the Museum. Stop by and check out the exhibit, or make plans to participate in the remaining exhibit-related programs: "Defining the Future and Other Quandaries," a public forum moderated by Dr. Armand Guarino on Thursday, December 13, at 7:00 P.M. at the Museum; and/or "The Age of Robots," an illustrated talk by Paul Grayson at the Museum on Saturday, December 29, at 2:00 P.M. Finally, I want to remind you of the 9th annual "In Remembrance of Christmases Past" concert at the Omena Presbyterian Church, set for Wednesday, December 26, at 5:00 P.M. This concert, produced by Lynn Scott as a benefit for the Historical Society, is truly a highlight of the Leelanau holiday season. Tickets are $10.00 and are available at the Tamarack Craftsman Gallery (Omena), North Country Gardens (Northport), Leelanau Books (Leland), The Front Porch (Suttons Bay), and here at the Museum. Thank you for your support. Happy Holidays, Mark Livengood Director Back to top November 5, 2001 - Leland, Michigan Dear Friend of the Leelanau Historical Society, November has had a whirlwind start. This past weekend, we opened Yesterday's Tomorrows: Past Visions of the American Future, the Smithsonian Institution travelling exhibition that we are hosting until December 31. Special exhibition hours are Thursday, 5 - 8 P.M., Fridays, 10 A.M. - 8 P.M., Saturdays, 10 A.M. - 4 P.M., and Sundays, 1 - 4 P.M. LHS members gathered for an exhibit preview on Saturday, and munched on delicious hors d'oeuvres prepared by Chef Chris Cihak, owner of Roux d'etat catering. The opening on Sunday drew families from Cadillac, Frankfort, and Traverse City, in addition to many residents of Leelanau County. Many programs accompany the exhibition, including a screening of the classic science fiction film Forbidden Planet (1956) at the Bay Theatre in Suttons Bay on November 24 and November 25 - a great Thanksgiving weekend activity for the entire family. Leland Public School teacher and Northwestern Michigan College instructor Mark Smith will introduce the film. For more information about the film, see the Bay Theatre website, www.leelanau.com/thebay/. And for a comprehensive schedule of exhibit-related programs, visit www.leelanauhistory.org/yt/. Finally, today the crew of Leelanau Sheet Metal put the final touches on our new natural gas furnaces and air conditioning units. In addition to being more efficient, this new system will allow us to better regulate the heating and cooling, including humidity, in the Museum. This helps us to create a more ideal environment for conserving the objects in our collection. Have a good month and a Happy Thanksgiving, Mark Livengood Director Back to top October 3, 2001 - Leland, Michigan Dear Friend of the Leelanau Historical Society, Last night's full, harvest moon gave way to a flawless autumn day today - sunny and breezy, about 70 degrees. It's the perfect way to kick-off a busy month at the Leelanau Historical Museum. This month we are in the home stretch as we finalize preparations for Yesterday's Tomorrows: Past Visions of the American Future, the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition we will be hosting from November 4 to December 31. Extensive programming will accompany the exhibition, and you soon will be receiving in the mail a schedule of selected programs and events. If you are interested in being a docent for this exhibit, please call me at 256-7475. We will be hosting three docent training sessions in the next month, the first of which is scheduled for Wednesday, October 10, at 10 A.M. at the Museum. Two programs developed in conjunction with Yesterday's Tomorrows are the "Transportation of Tomorrow Design Contest" and "The Today's Tomorrows Youth Challenge." The first encourages people of all ages to think creatively about how we will travel in the future. Entry forms are available at the Museum, and the deadline for entries is December 1st. The "Today's Tomorrows Youth Challenge" is a classroom based, interdisciplinary, youth-driven project that provides an opportunity for students to "design" a piece of Leelanau's future based on their own investigations and creative problem solving skills. Community resource people are key to the success of this project. For more information on these two programs, please contact curator Laura Quackenbush. Finally, early last month we announced the Edmund F. Ball Fellowship. The fellowship, made possible by a generous contribution by the George and Frances Ball Foundation, is in honor of lifelong Leland summer resident and longtime Society supporter Edmund F. Ball. The fellowship provides $2500 to an independent researcher or graduate student to conduct original research on the cultural history of Leelanau County. More information and an application are available online at www.leelanauhistory.org/fellowship. Please help us spread the word about this exciting opportunity; applications are due January 1, 2002. Thank you for your continuing support and keep in touch. Best regards, Mark Livengood Director Back to top September 6, 2001 - Leland, Michigan Dear Friend of the Leelanau Historical Society, Another Leelanau summer has come and gone in good style. And although the summer was a dry one, there was no drought of activity at the Museum. Highlights include: the History Afield fundraiser on June 23; presentations by basketmaker Frank Weese and decoy carver Russ Van Houzen, two "traditional arts" programs for children; a visit by Conservation Assessment Program assessor Laurie Booth; steady work on the Leelanau County Cultural Resources Survey; a continued presence, via the "Dinghy," in Fishtown; and, on August 20, a volunteer appreciation supper followed by a standing room only annual meeting. At the annual meeting, four volunteers were recognized for their exemplary service: Barb Gentile, Evelyn Kitzul, Lou Ristine, and Doris Sterrett. We are grateful for their years (totaling over 50!) of service. People make an organization. And this summer we have all benefited from the tremendous efforts of our volunteers, as well as seasonal staff, including Dinghy supervisor Jessica White and intern/researcher Noel Allende. Noel will be returning to Michigan State University this month, but in his three months in Leelanau County he has collected great information while helping us to extend our efforts into all parts of the county. Several new trustees joined our organization at the annual meeting - Claudia Goudschaal, Kima Kraimer, and Mark Nesbitt. We look forward to working with them on the many projects at hand. And we thank the outgoing trustees -- Loren Bensley, Eugenie Scott, and Cate Varley - for their steady work over the years. On the program front, September is another busy month. This Sunday, September 9, we set sail for North Manitou Island on our annual fieldtrip. And on Saturday, September 15, quilter Marie Sturmer will make a presentation from 1 - 4 P.M. at the Museum. Marie will also draw the winning ticket for the "Apple Blossoms" quilt made and donated by Dottie Holmes. Some quilt raffle tickets are still available. Thanks for your continuing support and keep in touch. Enjoy the autumn, Mark Livengood Director Back to top August 1, 2001 - Leland, Michigan Dear Friend of the Leelanau Historical Society, The other night I was sitting on a dock along the Leland River (once known as the Carp River before some savvy marketer realized the rivers name probably wasnt going to be a major attraction), looking at the many classic wooden boats floating at Stander Marine. The river, like the wind, was dead calm, and the clear water reflected perfectly the sharp lines and deep, ruddy colors of the boats. As I looked further at the handcrafted boats, I began to realize their significance not only as beautiful objects, but also as vehicles that connect generations of families and friends to each other and to the lakes and land of the peninsula. Its difficult to imagine the summer in Leelanau County without wooden boats. I want to remind you of the Societys annual meeting, scheduled for the evening of Monday, August 20. The meeting begins at 6:30pm and will include elections, reports, and a guest speaker. Mr. Brian Kalt, Assistant Professor of Law at Michigan State University, will be the speaker. Earlier this year he published Sixties Sandstorm: The Fight over Establishment of a Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, 1961 1970 (Michigan State University Press). All LHS members are encouraged to attend. Dessert will be served following the annual meeting. Make plans for your children, grandchildren, nieces, nephews, and/or friends to participate in the "Traditional Arts Experience" for children, set for next Wednesday, August 8, from 10am to 3pm. This program is designed for children ages 8 12. They will explore the traditional arts in their personal and community lives via a variety of activities that include a visit to historic Fishtown, a walk on the beach, and a hands-on traditional arts project. The cost is $5 per child, and pre-registration is required. This program is funded in part by a grant from the Traverse Area Arts Council and the Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs. For information please contact LHM curator Laura Quackenbush. Likewise, make plans to join us for this years fieldtrip to North Manitou Island, scheduled for Sunday, September 9. Please note that this years trip is on a Sunday, not Saturday. Thank you for your continuing support. Your next issue of LeeMuse will be in the mail this month. Best regards, Mark Livengood Director Back to top July 5, 2001 - Leland, Michigan Dear Friend, I began last month's letter with a reminder of the Leelanau Historical Society's annual fund-raising event, which took place on Saturday, June 23. I am happy to report that the benefit, History Afield, was a great success. We could not have asked for more perfect weather - clear skies, 75 degrees, no wind -- for the afternoon's golf and tennis tournaments. The cocktail hour at the Riverside Inn and the barbque at the Old Art building were full of good food and fellowship - all for the benefit of the Society. Thank you to all of you who helped to make History Afield another unique benefit for our organization. Draw a red circle around Saturday, June 22, 2002, now to save the date for next year's event. Two days after History Afield, the Society hosted Laurie Booth of Midwest Conservation Services for two days. Laurie was in town as part of the Conservation Assessment Program (CAP), a grant we received from the Institute of Museum and Library Services, to assess the Museum's conservation practices. Laurie has completed 40 such assessments for museums and historical societies across the country. While in Leelanau, she met with the board of trustees, collections committee, volunteers, and professional staff - and sailed on West Grand Traverse Bay and sampled the whitefish at the Bluebird. During our exit interview, she suggested that in terms of conservation practices the Leelanau Historical Museum is in the top 10% of organizations for which she has completed assessments. She was thoroughly impressed by the level at which we operate as well as by our principles of stewardship. Laurie will submit the first draft of her written report, with recommendations on how we might improve, by October 1, 2001. In closing, I want to remind you of two upcoming programs. First, on Saturday, July 14, woodcarver Mr. Russ Van Houzen of the Empire area will be demonstrating and talking about his art at the Museum from 1 - 4 pm. Mr. Van Houzen specializes in carving waterfowl and fish decoys, and has several pieces in our current exhibit, Traditional Arts ALIVE! His demonstration is made possible by a grant from the Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs and the Traverse Area Arts Council. Second, I want to remind you of the Society's annual meeting, scheduled for the evening of Monday, August 20. Mr. Brian Kalt, Assistant Professor of Law at Michigan State University, will be the speaker. Earlier this year he published Sixties Sandstorm: The Fight over Establishment of a Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, 1961 - 1970. Enjoy the summer, Mark Livengood Director Back to top June 2, 2001 - Leland, Michigan Dear Friend, Have you made plans to join us on Saturday, June 23, for History Afield, the Leelanau Historical Societys summer fundraiser? Tickets are still available for this full day of events, which will help us to meet our fundraising goals for fiscal year 2001. For more information about History Afield, please call me directly at the Museum, (231) 256-7475, or visit our website, www.leelanauhistory.org. The annual fundraiser is one event happening in this jam-packed, initial month of summer. Last weekend we opened our venture, The Dinghy, in Lelands Fishtown. This is our second year for The Dinghy, a unique combination retail, exhibit, and information hub, and it will be open all summer. So too the Museum will be open all summer, beginning its summer hours on Monday, June 11. The hours are Monday Saturday, 10am 4pm, and Sunday 1-4pm. Should you have an interest in volunteering at the Museum during these busy summer months, give Kristi Thomas a call at the Museum or, better yet, come to our annual volunteer orientation and luncheon on Wednesday, June 6, beginning at 10am. All are welcomed! Laurie Booth of Midwest Conservation Services will be with us June 25-27 to assess how the Museum cares for its priceless collection. Laurie is coming to the Museum as part of the Conservation Assessment Program, a grant we were awarded by the Institute of Museum and Library Services. The award is administered by Heritage Preservation. Lauries recommendations will help guide us as we continue to develop plans for collections storage. Finally, on Satuday, June 30, basketmaker Frank Weese will be at the Museum from 1 to 4pm to demonstrate his art. This public program, funded by the Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs and the Traverse Area Arts Council, is a component of our current exhibit, Traditional Arts ALIVE! As always, Mark Livengood Director P.S. To get a sense of the Societys recent activities, take a look at www.leelanauhistory.org/about. Back to top May 1, 2001 - Leland, Michigan Dear Friend of the Leelanau Historical Society, There is a distinctive cadence to life in Leelanau County. After a long winter, some days alternating between warm and cold, sun and clouds, we are now steadily heading into spring. In the month of May, the work that we have undertaken at the Museum this past winter is ready to burst forth. This years exhibit, Traditional Arts ALIVE! will open on Friday, May 18. The reception for Society members will take place between 5:30 and 8:00 pm; refreshments will be served and Joe Bottenhorn and the "New Five Cents String Band" (aka The Waltz Pistols) will pick-a-lick of three. Several programs and demonstrations with traditional artists in Leelanau County are scheduled throughout the summer months to complement the exhibition. These programs and demonstrations are supported by a grant from the Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs and the Traverse Area Arts Council. As another complement to the exhibit, we are collaborating on a Leelanau County Cultural Resource Survey with the Michigan State University Museums Michigan Traditional Arts Program. The objective of the Cultural Resource Survey, an estimated three-year project, is to work with community members to document the expressive traditions of the diverse cultures of the county, including events, artisans, gatherings, and occupations. The Cultural Resource Survey is a community-driven project. Team members -- interviewers, photographers, videographers, writers -- enthusiastic about doing documentary fieldwork are essential to the project. If you are interested in becoming a documentation team member, please call me at the Museum. Financial support for the Leelanau County Cultural Resources Survey is provided by the Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs. Speaking of fieldwork, mark your calendar for June 23, dust off your gear, and break out the suntan lotion for this years benefit, History Afield: Swing into Summer with the Leelanau Historical Society, which includes a choice of three exciting afternoon events -- a golf scramble at Kings Challenge Golf Club, a tennis tournament at the Leland Country Club, or a guided tour of historic Sleeping Bear Bay -- followed by a reception at the Riverside Inn and family bar-b-que supper on the grounds of the Old Art Building in Leland. Delicious food will be provided by chef John Hardy of Cedar Valley Ranch catering. A live auction will feature a weekend at a beautiful lakeside cottage, an original piece by Becky Thatcher, and a handmade Amish quilt, among other items. The days activities begin at noon and go until 9pm. All proceeds benefit the general operations of the Society. Keep your eyes on your snail mailbox you should soon be receiving an invitation to the exhibit opening, summer fundraiser, and the spring issue of our now quarterly newsletter, LeeMuse. Thank you for your continuing support and keep in touch, Mark Livengood Director Back to top April 6, 2001 - Leland, Michigan Dear Friend of the Leelanau Historical Society, As I write to you, our main exhibition space is being readied for this summers exhibit. Volunteers Carrol Nichols and Jerry Nye are busy working with curator Laura Quackenbush to rearrange the walls for Traditional Arts ALIVE!, which opens on Friday, May 18. As you know, such volunteer efforts are critical to the success of the Society. During the summer months, our busiest, the need for volunteers is greatest. If you would like to spend some time this summer working with staff and the public at the Museum or at our Fishtown venture, the Dinghy, please give us a call. Our annual volunteer orientation and luncheon is scheduled for Wednesday, June 6, at the Museum. We are planning a number of events and programs this summer that will benefit from broad community involvement. One of these events is our annual fundraiser, slated for Saturday, June 23. This year we take to the great Michigan outdoors for a series of activities and a gathering at the Museum all to empower the Society to continue its important work. Stay posted for more details about History Afield. The next organizational meeting for Yesterdays Tomorrows: Past Visions of the American Future, the Smithsonian Institution traveling exhibition that we will host in November and December, will be held on Tuesday, April 17, at 7 pm at the Museum. Society staff and community members are steadily planning and implementing programs to complement this exhibit. Join us as we continue creating the programs for the exhibit. Thank you for your continuing support, and, as always, best wishes for a fine month, Mark Livengood Director Back to top March 3, 2001 - Leland, Michigan Dear Friend of the Leelanau Historical Society, I am writing to you on the afternoon of Saturday, March 3. The sun shines brightly, and many people are walking around Leland in shirtsleeves. "Only seventeen days until spring," someone, her voice full of anticipation, mentions to me at the post office. As you may know, the Society is working with the Leelanau Conservancy on a plan to share the space within the Matheson Greens clubhouse building in Leelanau Township. The trustees, staff, and volunteers are very excited by the potential of this project, which would move the collections and archives to the Matheson Greens facility. The location at 203 East Cedar Street in Leland will remain the Societys exhibition area. Regrettably, a local daily newspaper grossly misstated the original media release announcing this collaborative project. You may read the original media release on the Society's website, www.leelanauhistory.org/news. I will keep you informed of our progress on this project via these electronic letters. Concerns about the natural and cultural resources on South Fox Island continue to grow as plans for a proposed land swap between the State of Michigan and developer David Johnson proceed. At their monthly board meeting on Monday, February 26, the Societys Trustees unanimously voted to task the Director to "explore the potential role the Society might play in the historical restoration and maintenance of the South Fox Island lighthouse, and in keeping the structure and accompanying land in the public trust." Finally, plans for this years two major exhibits, Traditional Arts in Leelanau County: Continuity and Change, and Yesterdays Tomorrows: Past Visions of the American Future, continue to roll along. Andy MacFarlane and the crew at Leelanau Communications have developed a homepage for the Yesterdays Tomorrows exhibition. You may visit this page at www.leelanauhistory.org/projects. If you would like to be involved in developing these exhibitions and accompanying programs, please contact Museum curator Laura Quackenbush at quackenbush@leelanauhistory.org. Best wishes for a fine month and the beginning of Spring, Mark Livengood Director Back to top February 1, 2001 - Leland, Michigan Dear Friend of the Leelanau Historical Society, A friend once argued that February was the finest month in Leelanau County -- more dramatic than October, more pleasant than July. "Look for the blue ice," the person said. "You see it only in February." Inside the Leelanau Historical Museum, the staff, trustees, and volunteers are busy with various projects. This Saturday, February 3rd, we will host our annual Valentine's workshop from 2 - 4 pm at the Leelanau Community Cultural Center (The Old Art Building) in Leland. This workshop, produced in conjunction with the Manitou Chapter of the Questers, has become somewhat of a tradition in "the month of blue ice." The winter 2001 edition of our now quarterly newsletter, LeeMuse, is in proofs and will be mailed the middle of this month. And the Museum Store Committee is gearing up for another great summer. This is only a fraction of what we are working on. Stay tuned for further developments in the near future. As throughout the winter months, the Museum is open on Fridays and Saturdays from 10 am to 4 pm. We are also open by appointment. If you are in the area, stop by. Best wishes for a fine month, Mark Livengood Director Back to top January 4, 2001 - Leland, Michigan Dear Friend of the Leelanau Historical Society, Happy New Year from Leelanau County! We've had 84 inches of snow so far this winter. The Society is entering 2001 riding the crest of a very successful and noteworthy December. The annual Museum Store holiday sale held over two weekends in early December was a great success. The dedicated volunteers who spearhead the Museum Store and who organized and staffed the sale again did a fine job. In addition, the Society was again this year the grateful recipient of proceeds from the annual Christmas concert, "In Remembrance of Christmases Past," at the Omena Presbyterian Church. The concert, produced by Lynn Scott, featured a memorable mix of music and fellowship. Both events are essential to helping the Society achieve its annual funding goals. We will continue to ride the crest this month. On Saturday, January 13, the Society will host a Great Lakes Freighter Workshop at the Museum. Children and adults are invited to assemble and paint their own wooden model Lakers while listening to Leelanau County's Captain Mark Adamson of the S/S Armco share his experiences and read the children's book Mail by Pail. This new event will be held at the Museum from 1 - 3pm. There is a materials fee for this workshop. One of the best sources of information about the Society is our website, www.leelanauhistory.org. The site allows us to advance our important mission to the widest possible audience. Since the site was launched in May 2000, it has received over 14,000 sessions. Stay tuned for further web-projects in the ensuing months. Of course, the website is not a substitute for a visit to the Museum. We are open all year, and invite you to visit on Fridays and Saturdays 10 am - 4 pm, or by appointment. Thank you for your continuing support. Best wishes for a fine month and year, Mark Livengood Director Back to top Read the 2000 Letter Archives Read the Current Monthly Letters | |||
