Blue Star Museum

We are proud to be a part of the Blue Star Museums program again for 2016. Blue Star Museums offer free admission to active duty military men and women and their families from Memorial Day through Labor Day. To find the location of other Blue Star Museums, visit their website at www.arts.gov/national/blue-star-museums

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In conjunction with the Blue Star Museum program, our gift shop manager, Kelsi, has added a trunk of toy soldiers to create a lobby exhibit. We are asking you to take a soldier home with you to remember the men and women serving our country. 

 

"The Sorceress"

One of the most unique dolls, part of the Kuska collection which came to us in 1975, is an automaton known as "The Sorceress". It was manufactured by Jumeau near Paris, France in about 1880. The doll features bisque head and hands, dark hair, and blue glass eyes. She is wearing a lace hat with a silk dress featuring a striped skirt.

"The Sorceress" operates in a mystical sequence lifting flower pot lids to reveal a clown with a saucy tongue stuck out, a little ape with grinning lips, and a girl blowing kisses. The waving baton seems to direct the music box accompaniment.

Bells!

Our temporary lobby exhibit for the month of May is a collection of bells brought to us by Kathie Peyton from the Mingo, Kansas community. Kathie started her collection when she was in about seventh grade while on vacation with her parents. Her first ones were Wyoming and South Dakota state souvenir bells.

Since that time Kathie has continued to collect bells and we have over 270 of them in this exhibit. Kathie referred to bell collectors as "ding-a-lings". We take collecting seriously and are grateful to Kathie for sharing her bells with us.

The bells in this collection range in size from tiny earrings to hand bells and wind chimes. They are made of metal, glass, ceramic, porcelain, and wood. Many of the bells in Kathie's collection follow a theme such as states, months, international, and holidays. Some are souvenirs from weddings attended or for which her husband, Rev. Tom Peyton, officiated. 

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The Beginning of the Collection

Visit Prairie Museum of Art & History during May to see this amazing display. While you are here you will also want to take a look at the photography exhibit in our Garvey Education Room on loan to us from Rodney Hoover. As always, there is no admission to view these exhibits.

Kelsi has also been gearing up for our busy season by adding lots of new items to the Museum Mart gift shop. Check it out!

Stop in, say "hi", and see what is happening at Prairie Museum!