September-October 2008 |
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Gala Offers Seat at the President’s Table The gala will be Friday, Oct. 24 at the State Historical Museum, 600 E. Locust, Des Moines beginning at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $125 and requests for invitations may be made by calling Barb Filer, Iowa Historical Foundation Executive Director, at (515) 281-8823 by Oct. 17. Barry H. Landau, author of The President’s Table: 200 Years of Dining and Diplomacy will be the special guest and speaker for the evening. Landau is a presidential historian and one of the foremost collectors of presidential memorabilia and artifacts. He has planned historic events in service to eight presidents, dating back to Lyndon Johnson. All guests will receive the book at the event and may have their copies signed by the author during the event. The evening
will feature a tasting menu of presidential favorites from cocktails to
dinner. Guests will also have the opportunity to enjoy the
Governors Terry Branstad, Tom Vilsack and Robert Ray and their wives will co-host the event and the distinguished guests. For more information, contact Barb Filer at (515) 281-8823 or barb.filer@iowa.gov.  A major
exhibition of more than 300 pieces of
“Made
from Mud:
During
the 19th century, the discovery of superior clay deposits in conjunction
with the state’s rich coal seams gave birth to a thriving ceramics
industry, especially in Boone, Mahaska,
The
presence of potters in
“Without a doubt, more have yet to be identified,” Smith said. “The marks of about 80 potters have been located on pieces for inclusion in the exhibition, with the earliest of these dating from around 1836.” Compared to
the highly decorated stoneware of the eastern
Although machine techniques were increasingly adopted beginning around 1870, the exhibition concentrates on wheel thrown jugs, jars, pans and churns produced in a variety of sizes for storing, preserving and preparing food. The
That school
was later renamed in his honor and moved to the top floor of the new public
library building (now home to the World Food Prize Foundation). With his
solid credentials as an artist, Cumming would subsequently be asked to
develop an art program for the
A
Other classmates of Heefner pictured in the album are Alice McKee, who would become Charles A. Cumming’s wife in 1926, and Gerard Rayness and Velma Wallace a couple who later married, taught private art classes in Ames, and were members of the Iowa Art Guild. “It’s easy to become completely absorbed in the photo and manuscripts collections that the Historical Society regularly receives,” said Plunkett. “But, once I have tended to the preservation needs of the materials, organized them, and extracted enough information to describe them for cataloging purposes, it’s time to pass them on to the public for further exploration and discovery.” The Lenore Heefner photo album is one of many primary sources that
can be researched at the reading rooms of the State Historical Society of
Iowa in
The Iowa
Department of Cultural Affairs continues its series of Iowa Cultural Trust
workshops in September and October in
The workshops will include an overview of the Iowa Cultural Trust; a two-hour interactive session focusing on board development and short and long-term strategic planning, conducted by Michael Audino of Syverson Strege & Company of Des Moines; and a discussion about the benefits of working with local community foundations.
Seating is limited and pre-registration is strongly recommended. Visit www.iowatix.com to pre-register by credit card or the Iowa Cultural Trust Web site at http://www.culturalaffairs.org/funding/cultural_trust/index.htm to pre-register by check. Each workshop requires a minimum of 10 confirmed reservations. Pre-registration is $20 and must be made by Sept. 23, 2008. Registration at the door is $25. For more information, contact Barb Filer at 515-281-8823 or barb.filer@iowa.gov. Following is the schedule for Iowa Cultural Trust workshops:
Davenport – Sept. 30, 8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Cedar Falls – Oct. 1, 8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. University of
The Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs has announced the schedule for site visits to four Iowa Great Places finalists. Great Places
Citizen Advisory Board members and DCA staff will tour Marquette/McGregor,
Spencer,
Iowa Great
Places is a program that calls on state agencies to partner with Iowans in a
new way by combining state resources with local assets to make
In developing their proposals, Iowans were asked to address seven unique and authentic dimensions that make places special: engaging experiences; rich, diverse populations and cultures; a vital, creative economy; clean and accessible natural and built environments; well-designed infrastructure; a shared attitude of optimism that welcomes new ideas; and based on a diverse and inclusive cultural mosaic. The Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs is accepting applications for Cultural & Entertainment Districts through Monday, Oct. 6. A cultural
district is a well-recognized, labeled, mixed-use, compact area of a
community in which a high concentration of cultural facilities serves as the
anchor. Cultural districts can be found in small rural communities or in
large urban areas and are established to encourage city and county
governments to partner with a local community nonprofit or for-profit
organizations, businesses, and individuals to enhance the quality of life for
citizens of
Designated Cultural & Entertainment Districts can boost revitalization of communities by attracting residents and tourists to the area, expanding the tax base and attracting well-educated employees. Applications must be postmarked by 4:30 p.m. Monday, Oct. 6, 2008. If an application is hand-delivered, it must be in the cultural district program office by 4:30 p.m. October 6, 2008. Fax and electronic submissions are not acceptable. Include $250 fee. Late applications will not be considered. One (1)
complete, signed original and 14 copies should be sent to: Kathy Gourley,
Cultural District Program Manager, Department of Cultural Affairs, 600 E
Locust, Terry Brady
of Eddyville was so intrigued with the historical information the State
Historical Library and Special Collections staff compiled to augment their
The Big Read project on Jack London’s The Call of the Wild that he did
more research on his own. Since May, Brady’s been writing a series of newspaper
columns about
Brady, an
Eddyville City Councilman, is also a regular columnist for the Albia
Union-Republican. He said he’s working on plans for a local essay contest
that will somewhat emulate the start of Jack London’s writing career.
History
could somewhat repeat itself if the winning essay highlights one of the many
Call (515) 281-6200 for more information.
Interested Iowans may download an application at www.iowahistory.org. Applications must be received by Oct. 30, 2008. Committee members will assist SHSI as it plans, coordinates, and implements activities and programs relating to the commemoration of
Tiffany McGettigan, educator with the White House Historical
Association, gave a training workshop to 21 docents, teachers and
Janet Toering with Extension 4-H Youth Development at
If you’re
interested in becoming a docent at the
Saturday, Sept. 20: George Washington Carver – A Celebration of Life 10 a.m.-2
p.m., State Historical Museum, 600 E. Locust,
Handmade paper bookmarks, docented tours of the George Washington Carver exhibit, nature rubbings, seed plantings, puppet making, hat making storytime and more. Admission is free and open to the public. Sept. 23: History for Lunch Noon-1 p.m.
Author
Robert Mitchell talks about his new book, Skirmisher: The Life,
Times, and Political Career of James B. Weaver. Mitchell describes Weaver
as a “courageous 19th-century
Sept. 24: Robert Mitchell Book Signing 12-1:30
p.m., State Historical Building, 600 E. Locust,
Robert Mitchell, author of Skirmisher: The Life, Times, and Political Career of James B. Weaver will present a Lunch ‘n’ Learn book signing in the Heritage Classrooms. Oct. 10-11: Perceptions of the
Speakers include Dr. Pamela Riney-Keherberg, ISU Director of Graduate Education, Program in Agricultural History and Rural Studies; Kristen Vander Molen, grants manager with the State Historical Society of Iowa, and Susan Fineman with the Country School Association of America in Nashua, New Hampshire. Visit http://www.iowapreservation.org/schools.php for more information and to download a brochure. Oct. 17: Book Discovery Discussion: In for the Long Haul, The Life of John Ruan by William Friedricks. 11:45 a.m.-1 p.m., State Historical Building. 600 E. Locust All Book Discovery selections feature material with an
Oct. 17-18: 2nd Annual Geocaching the Bluffs Western Historic
Treasure hunt the bluffs with your GPS and see where it leads you. Call (712) 366-4900 for more information. |
In This Issue Gala Offers Seat at the President’s Table “Made From Mud” Exhibit Now Open Photos Give Rare Glimpse into Cumming School of Art Iowa Cultural Trust Workshops Set for September, October Cultural Affairs to Visit Potential Great Places Communities Cultural & Entertainment District Applications Due Oct. 6 SHSI Seeks Civil War Sesquicentennial Advisory Committee Members |
The State
Historical Society of Iowa is taking applications from Iowans interested in
serving on the Iowa Civil War Sesquicentennial Advisory Committee.