American Masters Come To The Museum May 1

The national touring exhibit “Extraordinary Ordinary People: American Masters of the Traditional Arts” will open Friday, May 1, at the Wenatchee Valley Museum and Cultural Center. It recognizes exceptional folk artists through art objects, photographs, videos and interactive media.

“The exhibit presents a journey across America through the lives of individuals whose creativity is rooted in their cultural identities and communities,” said Jill Linzee, director of Northwest Heritage Resources, which is co-presenting the exhibit with the museum.

Five live programs associated with “Extraordinary Ordinary People” will take place at the museum May 15, 22, 30, June 5 and 12. They include three concerts, folk poetry, and a presentation on cowboy and Indian culture of Eastern Washington. 

Admission to the museum is free all day, with a reception being held from 5 to 8 p.m. as part of the Wenatchee First Fridays art walk program. The museum is located at 127 South Mission Street in Wenatchee. For more information call (509) 888-6240 or visit www.wvmcc.org.

Help Us Build a Pop-Up Museum Oct. 3!

We invite everyone to participate in a Wings and Wheels-themed “Pop-Up Museum” on Friday, October 3 at the Wenatchee Valley Museum & Cultural Center.

A pop-up museum is a temporary exhibit created by people who show up with objects to display and share – sort of like a community show and tell.

If you would like to participate, bring any object that fits the Wings and Wheels theme to the Museum Friday, October 3, between 5 pm and 8 pm.

There will be blank labels available for you to fill out with information about whatever it is you are sharing. You can write about how this possession came to be yours or how it is meaningful to you. Then you put your object and label on one of the display tables and stay to share stories and information with other participants and visitors for as long as you like. By 8:00 everyone packs their objects away and takes them home.

Image: That is an autographed toy plane signed by legendary aviators Clyde Pangborn and Hugh Herndon after their historic non-stop trans-Pacific flight from Japan to Wenatchee in 1931. It was presented to Lewis M. Shreve and later donated to the museum and the people of the Wenatchee Valley by John L. Shreve.

Support Your Community, Support River Of Baskets

“River of Baskets” is set to open in Wenatchee May 16, 2014, and will travel over the next two years to other cultural centers and museums along the Columbia River.

But we need your help. 

Our fundraising goal for this campaign is $9,500 and is the final push toward the total budget needed to create this special exhibition and series of programs. We have only raised $950 so far, which is far short of our goal.

Specific needs for the funding are to provide:

• Educational programming for school groups and community members that includes demonstrations and hands-on learning from our Native participants.
• Safe transportation and installation of baskets from individuals and organizations participating in the exhibition.
• Creation of an accompanying video featuring participating artisans.
• Hosting Native artisans who are participating in the exhibition and accompanying video.

Wenatchee Valley Museum & Cultural Center, a non-profit organization with a successful 75 year history, will open a comprehensive and beautiful exhibit honoring thirteen contemporary Native basket makers of the Columbia River, and the work of their ancestors who created baskets.  These artisans are preserving the enduring traditions of their people, and are held in high regard in their own communities.  They represent tribes from the headwaters to the mouth of the mighty Columbia River.

We are seeking funding to ensure this exhibition is of the highest quality and pays proper respect to the Basketmakers, both contemporary and historical, who carry on this ancient craft.

Please donate what you can today via our indiegogo campaign here: https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/a-river-of-baskets-an-exhibition-of-columbia-river-tribal-basketmakers

Watch our informational video on the project here: