Yakima Valley Museum Newsletter
Yakima Valley Museum Newsletter
Yakima Valley Museum Newsletter
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yakimavalleymuseum.org “Your View of the <strong>Valley</strong> Begins Here”<br />
Fall 2011 • Vol. 19 • Issue 3<br />
Skewered Apple BBQ, page 2 • A Tale of Two Exhibits, page 4 • Sheepherder Wagon, page 6<br />
Explore Central Washington, page 7 • WMA Award, page 9 • USO Show, page 9
Excitement is Heating Up for<br />
Following its tremendous first-year success in<br />
2010, the Skewered Apple BBQ Championship will<br />
be returning to downtown <strong>Yakima</strong> on the weekend<br />
of September 10-11, 2011, with Tree Top as the title<br />
sponsor. Proceeds from this national-championship<br />
event will benefit the <strong>Yakima</strong> <strong>Valley</strong> <strong>Museum</strong>.<br />
Competitive BBQ chefs across the nation use apple<br />
juice in a variety of ways—to reconstitute rubs, as well<br />
as to marinate, flavor, and moisten their meats. So Tree<br />
Top, a major manufacturer of apple juice, is a perfect<br />
match for this all-American cooking and entertainment<br />
event. With suggestions from 2010 attendees, and last<br />
year’s experience overall, this year’s event promises to<br />
be bigger and better, with more food, more vendors,<br />
more entertainment, and more fun for the whole<br />
family.<br />
The Skewered Apple BBQ Championship<br />
offers the largest winnings in the West.<br />
A total of $35,000 in prize money will be<br />
awarded, with $10,000 going to the grand<br />
champion. In addition, the winning team will<br />
receive an invitation to participate in the Jack<br />
Daniels World Championship, one of the most<br />
prestigious barbecue championships.<br />
The Skewered Apple BBQ Championship is<br />
open to the public. It will take place outdoors,<br />
along <strong>Yakima</strong>’s historic Front Street, and<br />
merchants will be open to offer unique shopping and<br />
dining experiences. In addition to the excitement of<br />
watching the competitors as they prepare their entries for<br />
judging, attendees can also enjoy cooking demonstrations,<br />
mouth-watering food from various vendors, and a beer<br />
and wine garden featuring some of Washington’s finest<br />
beverages. Live entertainment on the Main Stage will<br />
be provided by Star Anna and the Laughing Dogs, The<br />
Dave Rawlinson Band, and Northern Departure. Other<br />
performers are scheduled for the Depot Stage. Teams<br />
will be competing on both days, and after their<br />
submission of each competitive entry, they will offer<br />
attendees samples of their BBQ creations.<br />
Admission to the event is $15.00 for two days,<br />
and $10.00 for one day. Children 12 and under<br />
are free. Hours are 11:00A.M.-10:00P.M. on Saturday, September<br />
10, and 10:00A.M.-6:00P.M. on Sunday, September 11. For more<br />
information, visit our website at skeweredapple.com.<br />
<strong>Yakima</strong> <strong>Valley</strong> <strong>Museum</strong> <strong>Newsletter</strong>, Fall 2011 Page 2
the Skewered Apple BBQ<br />
The Dave Rawlinson Band<br />
EVENTSStar Anna and the Laughing Dogs<br />
SATURDAY<br />
11:30 Cooking Demo – Pizza, Anthony James<br />
12:15 Cooking Demo – TriTip, Tom Wallin<br />
1:00 Cooking Demo – Chicken, Saffron Hodgson<br />
1:00 Zuva Marimba (Depot Stage)<br />
2:00 The Blankers (Main Stage)<br />
3:00 4 On the Floor (Main Stage)<br />
3:00 Gone Fishin (Depot Stage)<br />
4:00 Coke Wings Turn-In<br />
4:45 Navid Elliot (Main Stage)<br />
6:00 Sausage Turn-in<br />
6:15 The Dave Rawlinson Band (Main Stage)<br />
8:00 Star Anna & the Laughing Dogs (Main Stage)<br />
SUNDAY<br />
11:00 Pork Butt Turn-In<br />
12:00 Brisket Turn-In<br />
12:00 The Blankers (Depot Stage)<br />
12:05 Crawdad Run (Main Stage)<br />
1:00 Chicken Turn-In<br />
1:00 Brad Gothberg (Depot Stage)<br />
1:05 Artistic Music Expression (Main Stage)<br />
2:00 Ribs Turn In<br />
2:05 Hot BBQ (Main Stage)<br />
3:00 Northern Departure (Main Stage)<br />
5:00 Awards<br />
Northern Departure<br />
THANK YOU<br />
to all our sponsors<br />
Title Sponsor<br />
Weekend Sponsor<br />
Reserve Grand Champion<br />
Gate Sponsors<br />
Stage Sponsor<br />
Beer & Wine Garden Sponsor<br />
Special Category Sponsor<br />
Fresh Squeezed Club<br />
Win Pak<br />
Graham Packaging<br />
Just Skewered Club<br />
Velikanje, Halverson<br />
Altas Pacific Engineering<br />
Just Picked Club<br />
Wells Fargo Insurance Services<br />
Thank you to: Abbott's Printing,<br />
<strong>Yakima</strong> Herald-Republic, Holtzinger Fruit,<br />
barbecuewood.com, Ted Brown Music,<br />
Knobel's Electric, Abbott's Printing,<br />
Smoke Pit Supply, Sawtooth Pellet Grills,<br />
<strong>Yakima</strong> <strong>Valley</strong> <strong>Museum</strong> <strong>Newsletter</strong>, Fall 2011 Brian Harris Used Cars, and Mark Page 3Herke
ON EXHIBITS<br />
A Tale of Two Exhibits<br />
Developing an exhibit—researching and writing the<br />
storyline and designing the exhibit components—represents<br />
about 75% of exhibit production work; construction and<br />
installation are the remaining 25%. These proportions vary<br />
with every exhibit, depending on whether it is “objectbased”<br />
or “story-based.” Object-based exhibits demand<br />
more construction/installation time, and story-based<br />
exhibits require more research/writing time (the work<br />
required to design the exhibit components also varies<br />
with every exhibit but is a separate factor, independent of<br />
whether the exhibit is object-based or story-based). Good<br />
examples of an object-based exhibit and a story-based<br />
exhibit are the object-based American Indian Collections,<br />
recently completed, and the story-based Yakamas At Home.<br />
The new American Indian Collections exhibit is all about<br />
the objects. There are over 300 objects on view …and about<br />
5 pages of label text. Designing the display cases to meet<br />
the conservation requirements demanded by the delicate<br />
artifacts, allowing for convenient rotation of artifacts from<br />
storage to exhibit, and making the largest case portable was<br />
a time-consuming design challenge. And because of the<br />
unique nature of these cases, fabrication and installation<br />
was also very time-consuming. Labels, on the other hand,<br />
which merely identify the objects and briefly discuss the<br />
museum’s collection policy and concerns, are a minor part<br />
of the exhibit and physically separate from the objectbased<br />
displays; yet they could not be written until the exact<br />
position of all the objects on exhibit was known. Because<br />
of this, label-writing was delayed, and, as I write this article,<br />
the few labels have still not been installed.<br />
Yakamas At Home, part of the “Homes” section of the<br />
museum’s core exhibits on <strong>Yakima</strong> <strong>Valley</strong> history, is storybased;<br />
it will have about 50 objects on view …and about 30<br />
pages of label text. Like the adjacent exhibit on the Mattoon<br />
Cabin, Yakamas At Home could be described as an in-depth<br />
historical narrative<br />
illustrated with<br />
objects, both from<br />
our collections<br />
and created<br />
especially for the<br />
exhibit. It tells<br />
the story of how<br />
Yakama families<br />
Detail view of artifacts in the new<br />
portable exhibit case.<br />
have lived—their<br />
homes, family<br />
By Andy Granitto, Curator of Exhibitions<br />
Lights from the Neon Garden reflect off the new portable<br />
exhibit case, the centerpiece of the American Indian Collections<br />
exhibit that will display a rotation of the museum’s vast<br />
American Indian collections.<br />
life, and social structure—from 7,000 years ago to the<br />
present. And we are incorporating in-depth research and<br />
rare photographic and written documents from our archives<br />
in the telling of the story. Development of the narrative<br />
labels for this exhibit began more than ten years ago. The<br />
half-scale replica of a Yakama teepee from our collections,<br />
the “big sexy hook” for the exhibit, was installed six years<br />
ago. This is one our exhibits that seems to be forever in<br />
production. Because of the amount of research and writing<br />
required, it has been an ongoing project, always on the back<br />
burner and never at the top of the priority list. But it is<br />
being completed now.<br />
The objects in Yakamas At Home are homes. The central<br />
anchor of the exhibit is a life group/diorama of a household<br />
root-gathering encampment, ca.1850, and it represents<br />
the midpoint of the story, a time when the Yakama had<br />
access to horses, steel tools, and other items available<br />
from other tribes and White traders, yet they still had<br />
unrestrained access to their homeland; the conflict and<br />
injustices of the “Reservation Era” was just around the<br />
corner. An interpretive wall will tell the story of changes in<br />
Yakama home life over time, from the earliest “pit houses”<br />
to modern wood-frame homes on the Yakama Nation<br />
today. Similar to the life-size ca.1850 encampment scene,<br />
but on a much smaller scale, will be miniature replicas of<br />
prehistoric pit houses, tule mat teepees and winter lodge<br />
of the pre-contact era, canvas teepees of the 19th century,<br />
and a wood-frame reservation house from the turn of the<br />
<strong>Yakima</strong> <strong>Valley</strong> <strong>Museum</strong> <strong>Newsletter</strong>, Fall 2011 Page 4
20th century. These models were painstakingly crafted by<br />
volunteer model-maker Gary Brueggeman. The labels were<br />
written using many historical documents from the museum<br />
archives and original research by local historian Jo Miles,<br />
and are supplemented with historic photos from our own<br />
museum archives and some from the archives at Maryhill<br />
<strong>Museum</strong>. After many years of planning and development,<br />
Yakamas At Home will be completed early this fall.<br />
Intricately detailed models made by Gary Brueggeman trace<br />
the history of Yakama home life. These miniatures will be fit<br />
into tiny dioramas illustrating the text of Yakamas At Home.<br />
NEH Challenge progress<br />
Thanks to the Board of Trustees and some close museum<br />
friends, the very first donors to the NEH Challenge have<br />
formally given or pledged $261,200—roughly 17% of the<br />
$1,500,000 required to match the $500,000 National<br />
Endowment For The Humanities Challenge Offer. This is<br />
another example of the tremendous generosity individuals<br />
have demonstrated on behalf of your museum.<br />
And it is especially impressive when one thinks about the<br />
fragile state of the American economy and all the various<br />
community needs that continue to grow at the same time<br />
that government support is being curtailed. <strong>Yakima</strong>’s private<br />
sector is once again stepping up to ensure that both services<br />
to the less fortunate and places which contribute to our<br />
quality of life remain sound.<br />
In the case of the <strong>Yakima</strong> <strong>Valley</strong> <strong>Museum</strong>, I cannot overemphasize<br />
how important private philanthropy for this<br />
NEH Challenge is to our growth, and even survival. As one<br />
of the few nationally-accredited museums without any<br />
consistent government support for operations, we are in<br />
a better situation than the state museums in Tacoma and<br />
Spokane, which rely on public funding. Since both Tacoma’s<br />
Washington State History <strong>Museum</strong> and Spokane’s Northwest<br />
<strong>Museum</strong> of Arts and Culture were cut from the State of<br />
Washington’s proposed 2011-2013 biennial budget, they<br />
were slated for closure. Funds were transferred to them<br />
from the Secretary of State’s office in the final budget, and<br />
they will remain open, but this is only a 2-year “reprieve.”<br />
It is, therefore, becoming increasingly necessary for the<br />
private sector to keep our museums alive. The <strong>Yakima</strong><br />
<strong>Valley</strong> <strong>Museum</strong> is the keeper and teller of the stories of<br />
our region–stories of individuals, families, businesses,<br />
organizations, and communities. It gives meaning to past<br />
lives and actions before as well as informs contemporary<br />
residents. In many cases, it is the <strong>Yakima</strong> <strong>Valley</strong> <strong>Museum</strong><br />
collections that include the maps for water rights,<br />
architectural plans needed for the refurbishing of Zaepfel<br />
Studium, and objects that maintain the identity of such<br />
important groups as the Japanese who helped build this<br />
<strong>Valley</strong> in the early 1900s.<br />
Without your generosity, none of this would have<br />
happened. --John A. Baule, Director<br />
<strong>Yakima</strong> <strong>Valley</strong> <strong>Museum</strong> <strong>Newsletter</strong>, Fall 2011 Page 5
By Mike Siebol, Curator of Collections<br />
New to the Collection: The McWhorter Sheepherder Wagon<br />
Mark and Mollie McWhorter Kovacich have donated their<br />
family’s sheepherder wagon to the <strong>Yakima</strong> <strong>Valley</strong> <strong>Museum</strong>.<br />
It was used in the Prosser area as part of the McWhorters’<br />
Triangle Sheep Company. The wagon came with all of<br />
the amenities one would need to live out amongst the<br />
sheep: stove, cooking pots and pans, dishes, and bedding.<br />
Currently, the McWhorter sheepherder wagon is being<br />
housed offsite. Its undercarriage needs to be stabilized,<br />
and the whole wagon needs to be cleaned and prepared for<br />
exhibition.<br />
Mark and Mollie also generously gave the museum<br />
other objects relating to sheep ranching, as well as Native<br />
American artifacts from the L.V. McWhorter collection and<br />
personal items from the McWhorter family. In addition,<br />
they have allowed the museum to scan 479 photographs<br />
related to sheep ranching and the McWhorter family. The<br />
Thank you Melissa<br />
Melissa Beseda has been volunteering at the <strong>Yakima</strong><br />
<strong>Valley</strong> <strong>Museum</strong> since last September. She is a recent Notre<br />
Dame graduate, and comes from Scranton, Pennsylvania.<br />
Since arriving in the <strong>Yakima</strong> <strong>Valley</strong>, Melissa has been busy<br />
performing duties for the Jesuit Volunteer program—but she<br />
has also made time for us. At first she volunteered at the<br />
Front Desk, but transferred to the Collections Department<br />
to help with the inventorying and photographing of all 600+<br />
pairs of David Childs’ shoes in preparation for the current<br />
photographs will become part of the yakimamemory.org<br />
online collection of museum and <strong>Yakima</strong> <strong>Valley</strong> Libraries<br />
images.<br />
There is a long history of sheepherding in the <strong>Yakima</strong><br />
<strong>Valley</strong>. The museum has wanted to acquire a working<br />
sheepherder wagon for some time; we are very pleased that<br />
Mark and Mollie have donated one which was used locally.<br />
If your family has objects and/or stories related to<br />
sheep—or cattle—herding in the <strong>Yakima</strong> <strong>Valley</strong>, we would be<br />
very interested in talking with you. Please contact<br />
Mike Siebol at 248-0747.<br />
Head Over Heels Over Heels exhibit. She has since helped<br />
catalog objects; improve exhibit environments; and select<br />
and prepare objects for the ever-expanding Native American<br />
permanent exhibit.<br />
Melissa has been an invaluable volunteer, and we have<br />
all enjoyed her cheerfulness and good humor. But it is time<br />
for her to move on; she will be attending the University of<br />
Washington this fall to pursue a Master’s Degree in <strong>Museum</strong><br />
Studies. She is preparing for a career in museum outreach<br />
programs. We wish her the very best. Thank you, Melissa…<br />
we’ll miss you!<br />
<strong>Yakima</strong> <strong>Valley</strong> <strong>Museum</strong> <strong>Newsletter</strong>, Fall 2011 Page 6
Explore Central Washington (ECW),<br />
the museum’s new summer field-trip<br />
program for families, has proved to be a<br />
big hit. Designed to get kids and parents<br />
(and grandparents!) excited about our<br />
region’s history, natural resources, and<br />
diverse cultures, ECW is aimed at both those who are new<br />
to the area and those who have lived here for many years,<br />
even generations, but have not yet had the opportunity to<br />
explore it. The response was overwhelming, with over 300<br />
participants registered; many of them went to most of the<br />
events, if not all of them.<br />
ECW activities began on June 21 with a tour of the <strong>Yakima</strong><br />
<strong>Valley</strong> <strong>Museum</strong>. Thirteen field trips followed, including<br />
a “plant walk” at the Selah Cliffs Natural Area Preserve<br />
Interpretive Trail; a geology tour at the Gingko Petrified<br />
Forest led by Jack Powell; tractor-pulled wagon rides at the<br />
Central Washington Agricultural <strong>Museum</strong>; stories and a<br />
tour at the Yakama Nation <strong>Museum</strong>; and a ride on one of<br />
<strong>Yakima</strong>’s trolleys.<br />
Thank you to all the families throughout the <strong>Yakima</strong> and<br />
Kittitas valleys that supported ECW. Many who joined us<br />
this summer said more than once, “I have always wanted to<br />
come here, but never got around to it, until this program.”<br />
Here are what some of the participating families had to say<br />
about the program:<br />
We enjoyed the tour of Northern Pacific Train <strong>Museum</strong>; the<br />
guides were very knowledgeable and entertaining.”<br />
…Paul Franklin<br />
Raptor House<br />
“This was a fabulous<br />
bargain for families.”<br />
…Amy Berkheimer<br />
Train <strong>Museum</strong><br />
<strong>Yakima</strong> <strong>Valley</strong> Trolleys<br />
“We did things as a family<br />
that we wouldn’t have<br />
done otherwise.”<br />
…Sara Boschker<br />
Wild Horse<br />
by Kathy Sample, Educational Program Coordinator<br />
“Explore Central Washington helped me build structure into<br />
a usually empty summer. I would also like to thank all of the<br />
places we visited for their graciousness.” …Lisa Reeves<br />
Gilbert Homeplace<br />
”Our family is<br />
new to <strong>Yakima</strong><br />
and we really<br />
enjoyed getting<br />
to see the area.”<br />
…Tamara Parker<br />
Selah Cliffs<br />
Agricultural <strong>Museum</strong><br />
Ginkgo Petrified Forest<br />
“It was an awesome program; I had no idea that so many<br />
places were available in the valley. It was a great way to<br />
meet new people.” …Robin Day<br />
“Truly thank you for all the fun! We have learned and<br />
explored together, it has given us some fun family memories<br />
with educational moments about our <strong>Valley</strong>. We are so<br />
grateful for this affordable program. Thanks for making our<br />
summer BETTER!!!!”…Chelsey Smith<br />
Thank you to all the participating museums and facilities:<br />
Washington State Department of Natural Resources<br />
Central Washington University Physics Department<br />
Gingko Petrified Forest State Park<br />
Jack Powell<br />
Kittitas County Historical <strong>Museum</strong><br />
Yakama Nation <strong>Museum</strong><br />
Ahtanum Mission<br />
Central Washington Agricultural <strong>Museum</strong><br />
Northern Pacific Train <strong>Museum</strong><br />
<strong>Yakima</strong> <strong>Valley</strong> Trolleys<br />
The Raptor House<br />
Wild Horse Renewable Energy Center (Puget Sound Energy)<br />
A special thanks to Sara Bristol, of the Busy Bee magazine,<br />
for helping in planning and all the advertising!<br />
<strong>Yakima</strong> <strong>Valley</strong> <strong>Museum</strong> <strong>Newsletter</strong>, Fall 2011 Page 7
Journeys with JohnTravel<br />
As a friend once said—If I go too long without the smell<br />
of jet fuel, I get depressed. So even though 2011 has many<br />
months to go, it is time to think about places to visit in<br />
2012. In the museum’s previous newsletter, we suggested<br />
an adventure to Charleston, South Carolina and Savannah,<br />
Georgia; this idea has met with sufficient interest for us to<br />
begin planning the trip. The tentative date is sometime in<br />
the last two weeks of April 2012—just past Easter and at a<br />
time when should be wonderful azaleas and rhododendrons<br />
in bloom.<br />
I am also looking into the potential of a Southwest train<br />
excursion that will take us to Santa Fe, New Mexico; a visit to<br />
Northern England; and/or flying down to Santiago, Chile.<br />
Keep those suggestions rolling in, as I really have no<br />
preference for destinations and am willing to arrange almost<br />
anything to almost anywhere. I just need to know what<br />
flavor of jet fuel most interests you.<br />
with the <strong>Museum</strong><br />
Carriage tour through Charleston. Photo courtesy of the<br />
Charleston Convention & Visitor Bureau<br />
The Ever-Expanding Native American Exhibit<br />
The Collections Department<br />
was very fortunate to have such<br />
great volunteers while processing<br />
hundreds of objects for the new<br />
Native American cases. Melissa<br />
Beseda helped select artifacts for<br />
the mobile collection case and<br />
helped prepare the beaded bags to<br />
make sure that they would not be<br />
damaged while on display. She also<br />
identified the objects on display and<br />
created draft object labels.<br />
Jo Miles, Peg Granitto, and Andy<br />
Granitto helped prepare the exhibit<br />
surfaces to make them safe to<br />
display the hundreds of Native<br />
American artifacts. Peg also made<br />
hat, dress, and vest supports that<br />
safely display the garments and<br />
make them look their best.<br />
The volunteers and I discovered<br />
that Andy Granitto, Exhibits Curator,<br />
knows how to squeeze more and<br />
more objects into the cases. This<br />
Left: Melissa Beseda helping to select objects in the collection room for the American<br />
Indian Collections exhibit. Right: Miles Miller continues to help select objects for<br />
the new case.<br />
resulted in Miles Miller and I being able to continue selecting more objects for display.<br />
That was the goal for this Native American exhibit, to show our visitors the wonderful collection of Native American art<br />
and artifacts that the museum is entrusted to preserve, research, and exhibit. I hope you all can come to the museum’s<br />
members meeting on October 27, to see the completed exhibition.<br />
<strong>Yakima</strong> <strong>Valley</strong> <strong>Museum</strong> <strong>Newsletter</strong>, Fall 2011 Page 8
WMA Award Winners<br />
Left to Right: Mike Siebol, Curator of Collections; Andy Granitto,<br />
Curator of Exhibits; Peg Granitto, Exhibit Tech; and David Lynx,<br />
Associate Director.<br />
At the Washington State <strong>Museum</strong> Association conference<br />
in Walla Walla last June, the <strong>Yakima</strong> <strong>Valley</strong> <strong>Museum</strong> was<br />
presented with the Award of Exhibit Excellence for our<br />
exhibit Land of Joy and Sorrow: Japanese Pioneers in the<br />
<strong>Yakima</strong> <strong>Valley</strong>. The award reads as follows:<br />
"The Washington <strong>Museum</strong> Association recognizes the<br />
exhibit Land of Joy and Sorrow: Japanese Pioneers in the<br />
<strong>Yakima</strong> <strong>Valley</strong>, produced by the <strong>Yakima</strong> <strong>Valley</strong> <strong>Museum</strong>,<br />
Veterans Day falls on 11-11-11 this year. What better<br />
time to celebrate with a USO show! Guest artist Leonard<br />
Piggee and the <strong>Yakima</strong> Symphony Chorus with Director Scott<br />
Peterson, who delightfully entertained us for the "Spirituals<br />
and Gospel Night" at last January’s Diversions program,<br />
will be teaming up again to honor our troops. As an added<br />
incentive…Scott Peterson and Leonard Piggee performed<br />
together in “real” USO shows on a 1974 USO tour which<br />
included Korea, Japan, Okinawa, Taiwan, the Philippine<br />
Islands, and Guam.<br />
for establishing a high standard<br />
of innovation and creativity in all<br />
phases of exhibit concept, research,<br />
content, design, production, and<br />
promotion. This exhibit uses the<br />
themes of community, family, and<br />
tradition to tell the story of the<br />
Japanese Americans in the <strong>Yakima</strong><br />
<strong>Valley</strong>. The museum went beyond<br />
textbooks and documentaries,<br />
seeking out personal histories<br />
and artifacts concerning the<br />
community’s past and present.<br />
Not only is it a significant contribution to the<br />
understanding of a community; it also enhances the rich<br />
history of Washington State. In creating it, the <strong>Yakima</strong><br />
<strong>Valley</strong> <strong>Museum</strong> has set an elevated standard for all heritage<br />
organizations throughout Washington State. Presented<br />
on the 16th day of June, 2011, by Washington <strong>Museum</strong><br />
Association President, Brenda Abney."<br />
Representatives from the museum were there not only<br />
to accept the award, but also to share their expertise on<br />
different topics. Andy and Peg Granitto gave a day-long<br />
presentation entitled Exhibit Style and Communication:<br />
Using Everything in Your Toolbox to Get Your Message<br />
Across; Mike Siebol gave a presentation on Keeping the<br />
Gathered Objects and was part of a Roundtable of Collection<br />
Managers; and David Lynx spoke on Engaging the Public<br />
with New Technology and Social Media.<br />
e11-11-11 USO ShOwe The Change You Want to See<br />
It has been an exciting year, with a lot of changes<br />
happening around the museum. The new exhibit of our<br />
American Indian collections is being installed; the fullyrestored<br />
“mudwagon” is back on display; and the exhibits in<br />
the <strong>Yakima</strong> At Home area are receiving new additions. The<br />
exhibits staff have also been making improvements around<br />
the museum.<br />
Since the permanent exhibits are changing, we thought<br />
it was only appropriate to ask David Childs, collector of the<br />
600 pairs of high-heeled shoes in the special Head Over<br />
Heels Over Heels exhibit, to “change his shoes!” Plans are<br />
for 100 of the pairs to be exchanged for other (equally<br />
fabulous) ones, giving visitors the perfect excuse to come<br />
enjoy another look at this popular exhibit.<br />
To view the results of all these changes, please come<br />
join us for our annual<br />
membership meeting and<br />
volunteer recognition<br />
party on Thursday, Oct.<br />
27 beginning at 5:30P.M.<br />
And feel free to bring a<br />
friend to introduce to<br />
your museum.<br />
<strong>Yakima</strong> <strong>Valley</strong> <strong>Museum</strong> <strong>Newsletter</strong>, Fall 2011 Page 9
The Raffle Quilt: Geese Crossing<br />
The 2011 raffle<br />
quilt, Geese Crossing,<br />
is now hanging in the<br />
lobby of the <strong>Yakima</strong><br />
<strong>Valley</strong> <strong>Museum</strong>. It is<br />
a stunning example of<br />
the blend of old and<br />
new—a 1930s-era red<br />
and white hand sewn<br />
top that has been<br />
quilted by machine<br />
to a contemporary<br />
fabric backing. Once<br />
again Michaela Hughes<br />
of Selah produced a<br />
wonderful quilting<br />
design.<br />
Raffle tickets remain just $1, the same price as when<br />
the raffle quilt project began way back in 1978. They can<br />
be purchased at the museum reception desk, at the<br />
museum booth in the Modern Living Building during the<br />
Central Washington State Fair (September 23-October 2),<br />
and, of course, when an envelope of them arrives in your<br />
mailbox this fall. The winning ticket will be drawn at the<br />
H. M. Gilbert Homeplace Christmas Open House on<br />
Sunday, December 4, 2011.<br />
Head Over Heels Over Heels<br />
postcard books<br />
BOOKS • VIDEOS • CARDS • GOODIES<br />
Meet Reesha at the <strong>Museum</strong><br />
The newest addition to the <strong>Yakima</strong> <strong>Valley</strong> <strong>Museum</strong><br />
“family” is Reesha Cosby, who is in charge of Visitor Services.<br />
Marisha (Reesha) Cosby comes to the Pacific Northwest<br />
by way of Nashville, TN (home of the Grand Ole Opry).<br />
Realizing she wouldn’t make it as a country & western singer,<br />
Reesha decided to move to the big city of <strong>Yakima</strong> to pursue a<br />
“much fancier” career in radio broadcasting! At 107.3 KFFM,<br />
she became famous on the airwaves as co-host of “Reesha &<br />
Nahum in the Morning Playhouse.”<br />
Ten years later, Reesha is no longer on the radio, still has<br />
no plans to become the next Minnie Pearl, and still calls<br />
<strong>Yakima</strong> home. She stays active in the community by serving<br />
both as a Board member for the Junior League of <strong>Yakima</strong><br />
and Chair-Elect of the Junior Leagues of Washington State,<br />
which trains women to become advocates for healthier and<br />
stronger communities; and by volunteering on the music<br />
committee for the annual “A Case of the Blues & All That<br />
Jazz” fundraiser. Reesha is also currently pursuing degrees<br />
in Early Childhood Education and Children’s Studies at YVCC<br />
and Eastern Washington University.<br />
If you so much as mention the word “baby” to her, Reesha<br />
will probably whip out her i-phone to show you pictures<br />
of her 5-month-old daughter, Willow Moon. Reesha’s very<br />
Southern mother once exclaimed: “I didn’t raise any hippies,<br />
so why does my grandbaby have a hippie name?!” The next<br />
time you visit the <strong>Yakima</strong> <strong>Valley</strong> <strong>Museum</strong>, ask Reesha for her<br />
momma’s Pineapple Upside-Down Cake recipe, and to see<br />
the latest pictures of Willow Moon, the hippie grandbaby!<br />
<strong>Museum</strong> Soda Fountain<br />
Serving:<br />
• Delicious Ice Cream Treats<br />
• Fresh Deli Food<br />
• Specialty Drinks<br />
Hours:<br />
10:30A.M. – 7:00P.M.<br />
Monday-Saturday<br />
Book your parties,<br />
groups, luncheons, or<br />
field trips by calling<br />
(509) 457-9810<br />
M<br />
U<br />
S<br />
E<br />
U<br />
M<br />
E<br />
M<br />
soda<br />
fountain<br />
<strong>Yakima</strong> <strong>Valley</strong> <strong>Museum</strong> <strong>Newsletter</strong>, Fall 2011 Page 10
CALENDAR<br />
Special Exhibitions<br />
On Exhibit:<br />
Head Over Heels Over Heels: One Collector's Love<br />
Affair with Shoes - High fashion shoes from ca.1890<br />
to the present. Collected by David Childs. On exhibit<br />
until December 30, 2011.<br />
Land of Joy and Sorrow: Japanese Pioneers in the <strong>Yakima</strong> <strong>Valley</strong> – An<br />
exhibit exploring the life, community, and challenges experienced by<br />
pioneers of Japanese descent in the <strong>Yakima</strong> <strong>Valley</strong>.<br />
Events and Programs<br />
September 9, 2011 (Friday) Pit Party – Kick-off celebration for the<br />
Skewered Apple BBQ Championship. BBQ dinner and live<br />
music from Hit Explosion. For tickets call 248.0747<br />
September 10 & 11, 2011 (Saturday-Sunday) Tree Top Skewered<br />
Apple BBQ Championship – Open national competition with<br />
$35,000 in prize money. Beer and wine garden. Open to<br />
the public (entry fee). Cooking demonstrations. Live music.<br />
October 27, 2011 (Thursday) Members & Volunteers Evening - An<br />
event to honor our hardworking volunteers, with an annual meeting<br />
and member's party. 5:30-8:30P.M.<br />
November 11, 2011 (Friday) USO Show – A program produced by the<br />
<strong>Yakima</strong> <strong>Valley</strong> <strong>Museum</strong> and <strong>Yakima</strong> Symphony Chorus.<br />
6:00P.M. Supper and drinks, 7:00P.M. Program.<br />
December 3, 2011 (Saturday) Holiday Open House<br />
Music in the museum from the <strong>Yakima</strong> Youth Symphony, <strong>Yakima</strong><br />
Children's Choir, and Melody Lane Singers. 12:00-3:00P.M. FREE.<br />
December 4, 2011 (Sunday) Victorian Christmas – The H. M.<br />
Gilbert Homeplace welcomes visitors for a special Victorian-Style<br />
Christmas. 1:00-4:00P.M. FREE.<br />
January 19, 2012 (Thursday) Diversions – A program produced by<br />
the <strong>Yakima</strong> <strong>Valley</strong> <strong>Museum</strong> and <strong>Yakima</strong> Symphony Orchestra.<br />
6:00P.M. Supper and drinks, 7:00P.M. Program.<br />
February 16, 2012 (Thursday) Diversions – A program produced<br />
by the <strong>Yakima</strong> <strong>Valley</strong> <strong>Museum</strong> and <strong>Yakima</strong> Symphony Orchestra.<br />
6:00P.M. Supper and drinks, 7:00P.M. Program.<br />
March 15, 2012 (Thursday) Diversions – A program produced by<br />
the <strong>Yakima</strong> <strong>Valley</strong> <strong>Museum</strong> and <strong>Yakima</strong> Symphony Orchestra.<br />
6:00P.M. Supper and drinks, 7:00P.M. Program.<br />
YAKIMA VALLEY MUSEUM<br />
“Your View of the <strong>Valley</strong> Begins Here”<br />
M I S S I O N<br />
The <strong>Yakima</strong> <strong>Valley</strong> <strong>Museum</strong> promotes an<br />
understanding of Central Washington<br />
history as it affects the lives of<br />
contemporary citizens. Through the<br />
collection, preservation, and exhibition<br />
of historic artifacts and stories, as well<br />
as related programming, the museum<br />
provides residents and visitors with<br />
historical perspectives that may<br />
influence decisions about the future<br />
of the <strong>Valley</strong>.<br />
AWARD RECIPIENT:<br />
1997 • 1999 • 2001 • 2003<br />
B O A R D of T R U S T E E S<br />
Akbar Rezaie, President Ralph Conner, Treasurer<br />
Nancy Rossmeissl, Secretary<br />
Dana Dwinell Kirk Ehlis<br />
Cragg M. Gilbert David Hartwig<br />
J. Tappan Menard Aaron McCoy<br />
Sharon Miracle Steve Muehleck<br />
Bertha Ortega Juana Rezaie<br />
Cathleen Robinson Paul Schafer<br />
Sharon Smith Michelle Smith<br />
Betty Strand Bette Taylor<br />
Curtis Sundquist Charlene Upton<br />
M U S E U M S T A F F<br />
John A. Baule, Director<br />
David Lynx, Associate Director<br />
Andrew Granitto, Curator of Exhibitions/Graphic Designer<br />
Mike Siebol, Curator of Collections<br />
Debbie Vlcek, Archives and Gift Shop Manager<br />
Katharyne Sample, Educational Program Coordinator<br />
Peg Granitto, Exhibit Technician<br />
Kimberly Thompson, Campaign Support<br />
Reesha Cosby, Visitor Services<br />
Michael Murphy, Maintenance<br />
M E M B E R S H I P<br />
You are invited to join the museum<br />
or give a gift of membership.<br />
Call (509) 248-0747 for information.<br />
The <strong>Yakima</strong> <strong>Valley</strong> <strong>Museum</strong> <strong>Newsletter</strong> is published<br />
quarterly by the <strong>Yakima</strong> <strong>Valley</strong> <strong>Museum</strong>, 2105 Tieton<br />
Drive, <strong>Yakima</strong>, WA 98902; 509-248-0747. David<br />
Lynx, Editor. ©2011, printed by Abbott's Printing of<br />
<strong>Yakima</strong>, circulation 1,000.<br />
<strong>Yakima</strong> <strong>Valley</strong> <strong>Museum</strong> <strong>Newsletter</strong>, Fall 2011 Page 11<br />
ACCREDITED by the AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF MUSEUMS •<br />
ACCREDITED<br />
2005
<strong>Yakima</strong> <strong>Valley</strong> <strong>Museum</strong> Collections<br />
ca. 1918<br />
Camping at<br />
Soda Springs<br />
FALL 2011<br />
ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED<br />
YAKIMA VALLEY MUSEUM<br />
AND HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION<br />
2105 Tieton Drive, <strong>Yakima</strong>, WA 98902<br />
NONPROFIT ORG.<br />
U.S. POSTAGE<br />
PAID<br />
YAKIMA, WA<br />
PERMIT NO. 578