Museum Week 2001

Backing

     Despite several last-minute obstacles, this year's Museum Week was a resounding success.  We got off to a good start when the Merchants generously donated over $2,800 to help us meet the expenses of leasing the hall and bringing performers to the Island.  These are the businesses who provided this help; please show your support by patronizing them.
     Dirty Denny's Dogs; Beaver Island Forestry;  Beaver Island Golf Course;  Pat McKeown Ford; The Sommer Place;  Central Drugs;  The Lodge;
Emerald Isle Hotel;  Daddy Franks; Stoney Acre Grill; Gordon's Auto Clinic;  Ed Wojan Realty;  Charlevoix State Bank;  Laurain Lodge;  Montaage;  Roy Ellsworth;  Beaver Island Management Service; Ron Wojan; Beaver Island Boat Company; Central Drug Store; Haggards' Plumbing and Heating;  McDonough's Market; Powers' Ace Hardware; Out on a Limb; Gillespie Enterprises; and Dalwhinne Bakery and Deli
     In addition, the Beaver Island Boat Company provided 14 round-trip tickets for the ceili dancers, the Fire Department Auxiliary allowed us to use their bingo equipment free of charge, and Holy Cross let John Hajicek and his family, who had driven here from Missouri, stay in the Rectory.

Program

     Jo Hendrix's ceili dancers from Traverse City got the week off to a rousing start on Monday afternoon. The Island has taken to this modern version of an aspect of its past culture, which was evident from the enthusiastic response given the fourteen dancers by the sizeable audience.  We intend to ask them to return next year for an evening performance, possibly on Tuesday.
     Music on the Porch: Remember last year, when the temperature dropped thirty degrees between 8:15 and 9:00?  Well, so did we, so when a few dark clouds rolled in at 7:30 we moved the celebration to the Parish Hall, just in case. Everyone was pleased because the accoustics were good and they were protected from the weather --although the rain held off.  It's hard to say which act drew the loudest applause, Signê Thomas's medal-winning tap routines, Tammy McDonough and Barry Pischner's wonderful duet, Robert Cole's mellow sax, the beautiful voices of Danielle Carey, Heather Carey, and Hilary Palmer, or the rousing jazz provided by Jeremy Sowa, L D Ryan, and MC Doris Larson, the "Renaissance Lady." Every chair in the hall was taken, and people stood up along the walls. More people arrived, clogging the entry and clustering on the cement stoop.  When still more arrived, they had to stand in the kitchen
     It was suggested that we hold next year's Music on the Porch in the Parish Hall again, and that we make every performer get on the stage for a grand finale to accompany the exodus at the end.
     Speaking of Renaissance Ladies, here's another: Mary Blocksma, who appeared on the Print Shop's Porch on Tuesday afternoon to sign copies of her new book, Lake Lover's Year. She also sold two of her previous books in their new format, as well as cards and prints. Hopefully the warm response she received will bring her back into our midst more frequently than once a year.
     Antje Price opened the Protar Home on Tuesday afternoon, and again on Friday, and over twenty-five people paid a visit to learn more about this man, whose kindness, intelligence, and giving nature have earned him the epithet of Beaver Island's saint.
     Tuesday evening brought the much-awaited panel discussion on the legacy of James Jesse Strang.  Moderated by videographer John Leben, Strangite historian John Hajicek, author and authority on Strang's five wives Vickie Speek, noted playwright Anne Marie Oomen, and Museum Director Jerry Gorden, descended from Strang elder Warren Post, took turns sharing their unique perspective on this short-lived social experiment. Much new information was put out as members of the audience were encouraged to raise their hands at any time.  From the opening question, "Was Strang a scoundrel or a prophet?", everyone paid close attention, and in the end the consensus was that Strang was a more complicated character than anyone had imagined.
     Wednesday saw the beginning of the first of three special Nature Walks CMU puts on specifically for Museum Week.  Once again the two for children were completely booked, a number that included a few parents who claimed they had to supervise their children but in reality simply didn't want to miss out.  The Biological Station has become such a well-established institution that at times we tend to take for granted all that Jim Gillingham and his staff do for the Island. But when one thinks about it or witnesses some of their contributions, such as the Nature Walks, one has all the more reason to be thankful that they are here.
     The Art Show also opened on Wednesday.  Long run by Ray Denny, who passed away earlier this year, several people suggested it be renamed The Ray Denny Memorial Art Show, so we complied.  Ray's widow Ruth chose his successor, young but talented artist Ted Prawat.  With help from Phyllis Duda and John Runberg, who, along with fellow Board members Rod Nackerman and Pinky Harmon seemed to be everywhere and do everything, Ted did a fine job of organizing and running the show. Ruth allowed him to bring down and install three of Ray's remarkable trademark modernist/pop art sculptures, which added a fitting touch.
     This year marked the 150th anniversary of Beaver Head Light, and the staff was on hand to celebrate.  People were encouraged to drive down, but for those who couldn't, busses, vans, and cars were available. A special slide show was prepared to show both the history and the future plans for this institution. T-shirts commemorating the occasion were sold, delicious meals were served, and tours of the tower and grounds were given.  All the donations went to help the important alternative education program that has been run here for the past fifteen years.
     Of special interest was the presence of Bob Gibson, great grandson of the Light's second keeper, Tip Miller, who had been in Strang's community. As luck would have it, his father had taken their family off the Island when the end came, and negotiated a safe return after the mob violence had run its course. For young Bob to be present for this celebration was completing the cycle.  Another notable presence was Mary Elizabeth Heiley, the daughter of John Andy Gallagher, who had also been stationed here.
     In the evening Robert Cole talked about the Oral History project he directs. He showed parts of four interviews recorded during the first go-round ten years ago, and then played some of the new digital tapes he's recorded this year, all on Rich Gillespie's jumbo television screen.  Lawrence McDonough's in particular drew everyone's appreciation for his sharpness, knowledge, and wit, but the footage that was the most stunning was the final one shown, which had been shot out on the ice at Simmon's Reef in March of 1937.  This new acquisition showed dozens of people salvaging gas by scooping it off the ice it had leaked onto, using buckets which were then poured into barrels or anything else that was handy while their cars or horse-drawn sleds circled the frantic activity.  The twisted hull of the Marold II was plainly visible on top of the grounded Oswald M Boyd, but the memory of the five deaths that had occurred there only two months before was strangely absent.  The camera operator, a pharmacist from St. Ignace, even shot the recovery of a body from its icy grave.  A U.P. man had bought a tanker truck to make his fortune, ignoring warnings that the ice had turned dangerously thin.  His truck had broken through, and his stiff and frozen body dripped icicles as it was carefully placed in the back of a hearse.
     On Thursday afternoon that prestidigitator of the imagination, Jim Gillingham, gave another performance of his always popular Amazing Reptiles show..  He explained the difference between reptiles and amphibians as his staff came down the aisles with live examples, letting those who dared touch everything from small frogs to immense snakes. Besides being entertaining, his efforts are bound to instill a healthy respect for our natural endowment in both adults and impressionable children alike.
     Thursday evening brought Don Meister talking about his twenty-plus-year apprenticeship to Garden Island naturalist and guru, Keewaydinoquay.  He had prepared an outline, but as so often happens when discussing charismatic individuals, one story led to another and then another, and after the first few minutes his outline was thrown away.  Don has a rare talent for making those he respects come alive, and the sizeable audience was glad to have Kee's spirit recaptured, if only for the evening.  Don closed by singing Kee's favorite song, first in her native language and then in English. Or, thought he had closed, for then the questions began.  When he was finally let off the hook his voice had worn down, but he had the remedy: one of the plants Kee had taught him about, a bitter taste to which he was innurred.
     It's just too bad he didn't leave some of this medicine on the podium for George Anthony, Friday night's speaker.  Politician, fisherman, and historian, he had come across  earlier in the day in his trap net boat with Joe Kenwabakissee because he had to be at St. Martin's Island at the western edge of the Lake, and the only way to get there was to climb back on board his boat before midnight and cruise until dawn.  He was in luck: the water was calm.
     George has dedicated his life to documenting the history of Beaver Island's Indians.  He has talked with hundreds of elders, recording their memories, and has been working on finishing his book, an almost impossible task, for the past ten years. When he was here six or seven years ago he presented a more formal history, but this time he recited anecdotes to illustrate the form in which his people's oral traditions have been passed on to him. Some of the stories came from familiar names, such as Angeline Wabanimkee and Isabel Ken.  He placed a dozen artifacts on the stage to his side, to illustrate some of the things mentioned in these tales: pictures, a stone pipe, Bishop Baraga's hymnal, medalions, and other special treasures.  As his stories became more and more enchanting, his audience was drawn farther into sharing the ambiance of a different way of life -- not vanished after all but alive and thriving around us, and offering us its vital knowledge, learned through centuries of experience, of how to live in harmony with the land.  It was a message well received.
     On a hot and muggy afternoon the following day Liz and Paul Niehaus put on their inimitable "Everyone's a Winner" Pet Show.  The usual suspects were rounded up and paraded in front of the judges across the Print Shop Porch floor, with a fox-eared cat and a bouncing dog thrown in as well. One young girl wanted so badly to have a turn at the mike that she befriended a fish fly and entered it as her pet. For awhile it looked like she might take the grand prize, but then the astute judges, in their infinite patience, discovered, first one and then the other so that they both agreed, that it was missing part of its tail.  So it was marked down, and first place was given instead to a yellow stuffed Siamese bunny hand puppet --on its very first try!
     Saturday night brought a change of theme from the preceding years in which music capped off the week.  This year the culminating event, staged in the sweltering Parish Hall, was the thousand dollar Bingo Game, or, as it came to be known by those filing in, "Watch Pinky Fry."
     Once the fans began to work, though, the temperature dropped to bearable and the fun began.  "Budger" won the first game, and let everyone know how happy he was.  The guards strapped him back in his seat and his footprints were quickly wiped off the table so the next game could begin.  Door prizes (donated by Island Airways) were awarded, and the cash was distributed as soon as bingos were announced. Before anyone realized how fast the time was speeding by all fifteen games had been played as well as the 50/50s and Specials, and the final, $200 prize was won. Comments on the way out followed a standard theme:  "This was fun!  Let's do it again next year!"

The Financial Aspect

     Thanks to the merchants, we got off to a strong start.  They donated $2,400, which we added to the over $800 we had left from last year.  Costs only ran $1,603, so once again we have a start on next year. The only thing we'll do differently next year is talk to them in April and May to get pledges so we know how much we'll have to work with.
     As for the events themselves, all told, counting everything, we took in $3,749, a very handsome amount. While we're certainly glad to have this money for our projects, we're always aware that our primary mission is to enhance the Beaver Island experience by providing week-long interesting entertainment, and as long as we do that, we'll feel we've done our job. We feel that by so doing, we are creating residual positive effects that will be felt in the future.

Our Warm Thanks To

     This year's Museum Week would not have been such a success without the hard work and generous contributions of an extensive number of people.  Near the top of the list are the members of the Board of Trustees, who ignored their company and friends and instead spent dozens of hours taking care of all the problems and details that putting on a fifteen-event week-long event like this entails.  Right up there with them are the generous merchants who footed the bill.  Having their complete support allowed us to concentrate on getting the job done.  Then there's Father Pat Cawley, who allowed John Hajicek, who had been late to commit, and his family, to stay in the Rectory a few nights when all the inns were full.  There's the Beaver Island Fire Department, who donated the use of their bingo equipment, and their Auxiliary, who wrote a last-minute letter to the licensing board when a glitch in the permit arose.  There's L. D. Ryan, who got up from his dinner table when a problem  arose with the round table's complicated sound system.  There's Doris Larsen, who once again took complete responsibility for organizing Music on the Porch, and Ted and Dorothy Prawat, who stepped into shoes almost too large to ever fill and producing an art show that was thoroughly enjoyed. There's Anttje Price, who put off her preparation for a speech she's soon to make in Stockholm to be here during Museum Week and help out in so many ways.  There's Liz and Paul Niehaus, who bring such elan d'spirit to the Pet Show.  And of course there's Joyce Bartels, who changed the exhibit in the glass case at the Print Shop every day to fit the theme of the evening's event. She also helped Antje Price open the Protar Home, was part of Pinky's army of rovers at the Bingo Game, and at the same time managed to handle all the scheduling emergencies that always come up with her volunteers.
     Also near the top there's Professor Dan Wardlow from San Francisco, who filmed every event and will be editing his eight hours of tape into about twenty minutes of finished footage during the fall and winter.  There are the writers in the Petoskey News Review and Charlevoix Courrier, who gave us such good advance publicity, and the managers of the TV and radio stations who put us on their community bulletin boards. There are the packers at McDonough's Market, who put our schedule in grocery bags, the business owners who put up our large posters, and the staffs of the hotels and motels who made sure it was in each room whenever someone checked in.  And at the very top of the list? Why, it's everyone who came to one or more of these events to have a good time, and became a vital link in the chain that made this year such a pleasant success.

Suggestions

     In addition to having a grand finale where all the singers and musicians get on the stage together for a last song at Music on the Porch, a number of other ideas were put forth. Give the ceili kids an evening slot with live music so they can really show their stuff.  Repeat the bingo game, but on Friday evening so those who are here a week can play.  Move the Art Show into the gym; devise a system of movable wall panels that can be used year after year to create just the right space. Have some artists at the show working on their art.  Broaden the offerings to include more photography, crafts, and computer art. 
     Sponsor a film competition for Saturday evening.  More and more people are shooting their own videos in order to be able to recapture the wonder of Beaver Island when they're not here. Invite them to enter their footage for next year's contest. Show all the films, and let the Saturday evening audience vote to determine the first and second place winners. If 6 people or groups each produce 15 to 20 minutes of their paean to Beaver Island's wonders, we could wind up starting another annual event: the Beaver Island Appreciation film festival!