Summer Newsletter 2015.Pub
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Summer 2015 INSIDE Heritage Headlines Volume 18, Issue 2 MAY YOU LIVE IN EXCITING TIMES! This past fiscal year has been an exciting one at the Schwenkfelder Library & Heritage Center! Page 2: The year started with an amazing act of philanthropy, Upcoming Exhibits in which we received one of the largest individual gifts in our Page 3: history as the result of a generous bequest from Dr. Webster Schultz Stover. Currently engaged in a strategic planning Donation With Father Miroslaw Tyczko, Penn Dry Goods process, our Board elected to place this gift in our endowment priest of the Church of the Holy Sponsors fund so that it would return maximum value to the Heritage Apostles Peter and Paul, Twardocice, Poland Center as we determine its highest and best use. Page 4 and 5: Children’s Education Legacy investments such as this have a transformative effect on an institution. We Programs are grateful for all of our legacy gift donors, and the investment of time and talent made Page 6: by our wonderful volunteers. What a pleasure it was to salute so many of you at our annual Volunteer Spotlights volunteer recognition brunch on April 25! Page 7: In October, thanks to a generous grant, the SLHC together with the Mennonite New Baseball Book Heritage Center embarked upon the digitization of a portion of their fraktur collections. Volunteers Honored Working collaboratively and being assisted by photographers, volunteers, and interns, a Page 8: total of 650 pieces from both collections are being cataloged and digitized to make them Brown Bag Lunches available to virtual visitors from around the globe. Presenting these extraordinary pieces Library and Archives online will greatly enhance public access to these exceptional collections. This project Page 9: concludes this summer, but further opportunities to digitize the complete Heritage Center Fall Programs and collection are being sought – more than 1,000 pieces of world -class fraktur. Exhibits Another extraordinary experience was leading the Heritage Tour with Allen Page 10: Viehmeyer. One of our most stirring moments was encountering banners and signs Thank You Donors presaging the 500th anniversary of the Reformation in 2017. What a great time for the SPECIAL INSERT Heritage Center to have as our mission the celebration of religious Philanthropy freedom and all that entails. And yes – plans for our next Heritage Tour Report 2014/2015 are already underway. May brings our third annual Penn Dry Goods Market to the Heritage Center. Led by our Board of Directors, we thank our 13 generous event sponsors. Please see the complete sponsor list on page 3. (If you noticed our publicity about this event, please tell us!) Saving the best for last, I am delighted to announce that, with Receptionist Emily Barker your generous support, we exceeded our 2014 – 2015 annual fund 105 Seminary Street campaign goal! We especially thank our $10,000 challenge grant donor Pennsburg, PA 18073 -1898 Phone: 215.679.3103 who helped inspire new and increased gifts. We welcome our 116 new donors. Please Fax: 215.679.8175 enjoy the enclosed 2014 – 2015 Report on Philanthropy and plan to visit the Heritage Center soon. [email protected] David W. Luz www.schwenkfelder.com Executive Director 1 2 Heritage Headlines www.schwenkfelder.com Volume 18, Issue 2 Text in Context: The Written Word in A Celebration of the Variable Star Quilters Pennsylvania German Meeting Room, June 7 to October 18 Decorative Arts and Material Culture The Variable Star Fraktur Gallery, Through October 20 Quilters, a guild with From samplers and quilts to members throughout our fraktur and furniture, the written local area, has been meeting word is a vital part of Pennsylvania for over three decades to German material culture, whether share their quilts with each to denote ownership through a other and through shows beautifully handwritten name or to open to the public. Nick convey a significant message. This named “The Quiltie Ladies,” exhibit features the bounty of these extraordinarily talented inscribed objects in the Heritage Center collections, women have consented to including a fraktur quilt, numerous samplers, the share some of their favorite quilts with our visitors. All of extraordinary Irwin Mensch desk, and of course, Adam and Eve quilt by Variable magnificent examples of handwriting – from the Baroque the quilts are contemporary Star Quilter Nancy Roan calligraphy of the 18th century to Spencerian pieces works made by members of – from the late 19th century. Visitors are welcome to the guild and you will be guaranteed a feast for the eye with their dazzling patchwork and applique! photograph the objects and text them to their friends or post them on social media – selfies are encouraged! Make a day of it – plan to visit the exhibit and have lunch at one of our superb local restaurants, such as the Carriage House outside of East Greenville or Pennsylvania German Folk Healing Traditions Jamison’s Publick House in Geryville. with guest curator Patrick Donmoyer Art Gallery, July 19 to January 31, 2016 Mini Conference on Saturday, October 17 The lore of Pennsylvania German folk healing, commonly known as powwow in English or Braucherei in the Pennsylvania German dialect, is a topic that is of great fascination to many individuals – and with that, comes both a great deal of fact and fiction. Patrick Donmoyer of the Pennsylvania German Cultural Heritage Center at Kutztown, a leading expert on the subject with his translation and annotation of A Friend in Need , an early Pennsylvania German powwow book, and numerous articles and lectures, will be serving as guest curator. The exhibit presents his personal collection of manuscripts, books, and other materials relating to folk healing in both Europe and Pennsylvania. This very significant collection will be supplemented with materials from the Heritage Center and other institutions’ collections. It is one of the first times an exhibit will delve into this important – and mysterious – subject matter. On Saturday, October 17, the Heritage Center will host a mini conference on Pennsylvania German folk healing. More information will be forthcoming – watch your newsletter and the Heritage Center’s Cover from Hohman's best known work – a collection of Facebook page for updates! prayers and recipes for folk-healing. 3 www.schwenkfelder.com Volume 18, Issue 2 Heritage Headlines Exploring Fedor Sommer ANTIQUES IN THE VALLEY Author of The Iron Collar Friday, June 19, 11:00 am – 6:00 pm Local History Gallery, Saturday, June 20, 10:00 am – 4:00 pm June 7 – October 20 Oley Valley Middle School The Heritage Center is pleased 3247 Friedensburg Road Oley, PA 19547 and proud to have the opportunity to host a special exhibit about the life and work The 2015 Antiques in the Valley show features of Fedor Sommer (1864 – 1930), whose novel The Iron 60 of the most respected antique dealers showcasing Collar has been a staple in the Schwenkfelder bibliog their finest 18th, 19th, and early 20th century furniture, raphy since the 1950s, when it was translated by former folk art, primitives, textiles, china and related decorative Schwenkfelder Library Director Andrew Berky. This arts. A portion of the show proceeds will fund scholar- work of historical fiction, published first in serial form ships to deserving students at Oley Valley High School. in 1911 in a German newspaper, tells the story of The Heritage Center will provide a fraktur exhibit. Schwenkfelders during the Counter -Reformation. A special panel exhibit from The City Museum “Gerhart Hauptmann’s House” in Jelenia Góra, Poland THANK YOU, 2015 PENN DRY has been obtained on loan by the Heritage Center to introduce GOODS MARKET SPONSORS! our visitors to this important piece of Schwenkfelder heritage. The text panels will be supplemented by manuscripts, books We are pleased to recognize the and other materials from the Heritage Center collection to following sponsors for this year’s help bring the story to life. English translations of The Iron Penn Dry Goods Market: Collar are available in the gift shop – stop in and purchase Friday Education Sponsor: one before viewing the exhibit! Sanford Alderfer Companies Saturday Education Sponsor: Swan Sampler Guild Supports Sampler Preservation Women's Christian Fellowship of Central Schwenkfelder Church We would like to extend our deepest thanks to the Swan Sampler Guild of Salt Lake City, Utah, for its Program Book and Textile History generous donation of $2,000 toward the conservation of a Lecture (2) Sponsor: Univest Corporation sampler, two embroidered wallets, and two of our famous Townscape wool embroideries. The Guild supports Friday Reception Sponsor: museums across the country – large and small – in Schwenkfelder Library & Heritage Center Board of Directors needlework conservation efforts. Café Sponsor: We have chosen the Susanna Yeakle sampler, Meadowood Senior Living dated 1829, which is a recent acquisition of the Heritage Center; one of the Yeakle queen’s stitch pocketbooks; the Textile History Lecture Sponsors: M. Finkel & Daughter Caspar Yeakel Irish stitch pocketbook; the Phoebe Friends of the Schwenkfelder Kriebel Townscape, and the Anna Heebner Townscape as Library & Heritage Center candidates for these funds. Some need minimal work – Corinne H. Machmer the townscapes for example, which will probably just Ruckman Mill Farm need to be cleaned and re -fitted in their frames, while the Sampler Consortium pocketbooks need more attention to ensure their long - Stauffer Glove and Safety Town & Country Newspaper term preservation. The Swan Sampler Guild is a needlework guild Raffle Sponsor: Harleysville Savings Bank specializing in samplers. They welcome members from all over the world. Their mission is to aid in the preservation We thank our generous sponsors of samplers and the art of sampler -making. for the Penn Dry Goods Market, May 15 and 16, 2015! Thank you Swan Sampler Guild! 4 Heritage Headlines www.schwenkfelder.com Volume 18, Issue 2 HOMESCHOOL WORKSHOPS MUSEUM EDUCATOR TRANSITIONS Themes and activities are based on temporary We bid a fond farewell to Museum Educator and permanent exhibition topics, gallery discussions, Laura Price, who left the position on April 2.