Happy New Year on behalf of the board of directors and staff of your favorite museum honoring the memory of the legendary Dorothy Molter. You may have noticed a new mission statement at the top of this newsletter. This past fall, our new curator, Mary Parks, facilitated the creation of a 5-year strategic plan as well as a new mission and vision statement. Volunteering to help with the process were guides Peg Rosett, Bob Niewierowski, Nancy McReady, JoAnn Bird,and Edye Ruoho. Board members, Patti Crager and Sherry Abts along with Administrative Assistants Terri Schocke and Theresa Johnson also joined in the fun. Our first meeting consisted of one hour of serious brainstorming followed by a potluck and viewing of the PBS special, "Rare Finds". This documentary featured 10 historic attractions in Northeastern Minnesota. The Dorothy Molter Museum was the last museum featured (I guess they saved the best for last!) Judy Hadel Morrissey, the original film maker of the DVD (Dorothy Molter: Living in the Boundary Waters) that we show at the museum, was the videographer assigned to the story. It was a sentimental and tender day for her re-visiting the cabins and reminiscing about her time spent up at the Isle of Pines in the 1980's. The video was very well received and we have heard many nice comments about the film. Edye Ruoho was kind enough to host our second meeting. Her house was charmingly decorated for Christmas and many people brought treats. It was hard for us to settle down to work in such a festive atmosphere but Mary did a great job of reigning in our energy. Once Mary compiled all the data, she and I met at A Taste of Ely (a local restaurant and new museum business member) to hammer out the final plan. After coffee, lunch and two and a half hours we had the finished product ready to present to the board. The Dorothy Molter Museum Strategic Plan was adopted by the board of directors at the annual meeting held Dec. 11th, 2012. I hope you will take some time to look at our plan and give us feedback on the project priorities we have identified. Our primary motivation for creating the plan was to fulfill a requirement for applying for IMLS grants. Following this message Mary will describe in detail where we are at with grant opportunities. As always, your commitment to supporting the museum means so much. May 2013 be filled with joy and appreciation for the good things in life. Sincerely, Sarah Guy-Levar Executive Director |
Dear Members,
I am very pleased to announce that the museum has received a $6,300 Minnesota Historical and Cultural Heritage Grant from the Minnesota Historical Society (MSH), as well as a $5,000 grant from Iron Range Resources & Rehabilitation Board (IRRRB).
The MHS grant was awarded to improve storage conditions at the museum. With this money, we were able to order archival storage supplies and are now in the process of storing objects in their new homes. Some of the objects being re-housed include photographs, newspaper articles, Dorothy's original guest registers, journals, and Christmas tree ornaments. By the time the project is complete, approximately 10% of the museum's collection will have upgraded storage environments.
The $5,000 from IRRRB was awarded to make improvements to the Point Cabin exhibit. A generous lifetime member provided a $5,000 match for the project. We are currently planning the new exhibit and will be moving many of the items currently on view to storage. We will also be adding new signage to the display. The end result will be a more-spacious and informative exhibit which will be rotated on a regular basis to ensure the long-term preservation of the collection.
With those projects underway, we are now in the process of applying for two additional grants: another grant from MHS to write a formal Collections Management Policy and Collections Plan, as well a Grant from the Institute for Museum and Library Services (IMLS) to create an interactive kiosk featuring digital copies of Dorothy's original guest registers. Look for updates on these grants in our next newsletter.
In the meantime, keep an eye out for the museum's newest publication: a Dorothy Molter children's coloring book featuring artwork by Bob Cary, Laura Young, and Nora Wildgen. During "Give to the Max Day," the museum raised $475 towards the printing of the book. Lake Country Power also contributed $250 through their "Operation Round Up" program. We are still working to raise funds for this project - please contact the museum if you are interested in contributing.
Finally, don't miss Dorothy Molter's first display in the Ely Art Walk. Each year during the annual Winter Festival, the city of Ely is transformed into a series of mini-art galleries exhibiting work from more than 150 artists in downtown shops and windows. This year, from Feb.1-10, a selection of Dorothy's handmade Christmas ornaments will be featured in one of the windows. To find o ut exactly where you can find Dorothy's display, pick up a copy of the Art Walk map, or visit Ely Art Walk.
Sincerely,
Mary Parks
Curator
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Luncheon/Bake Sale
Saturday, Feb. 2nd
10-4
St. Anthony's Church Hall
Join us for lunch at the Craft Fair as part of the
celebration. We're offering
yummy chili, Bob's Famous Secret Recipe Creamy Asparagus Wild Rice Soup, Old-Fashioned Chicken Noodle Soup, Egg or Chicken Salad Sandwiches and hot dogs for the kids. Of course we'll have Dorothy Molter root beer, hot cocoa, tea, and museum member Gene Hicks is generously donating Gene Hick's Gourmet Coffee for us to serve! We will have a nice assortment of baked goods to go with that yummy coffee too! So stop by to warm up for a hot lunch, do a little shopping and support a good cause.
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Annual
Fundraising Dinner
Feb. 9th, 2013
6:00 p.m.
Grand Ely Lodge
At the Dorothy Molter Museum we know how to put the "fun" in fundraising! Join us for our second annual joke-telling competition. $100 cash prize to the best jokester of the evening. 1st, 2nd and 3rd place prizes of Bob Cary Artwork has been graciously donated by Barb Cary-Hall. It's always a great evening of raffles, door prizes, over 75 silent auction items and a few surprises too! Purchase tickets online, at the Grand Ely Lodge, WELY, or by calling the museum at 218-365-4451.
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Museum Hours
during the Ely Winter Festival
Fri, Sat and Sun
Feb. 1,2,3,8,9 and 10
10-4
We will have the cabins open, the coffee on, and offer self-guided tours by donation. Take a tour of Dorothy's unheated cabins in the winter and see just how tough you are! Don't worry- we will have heat in the Interpretive Center.
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Board of Directors
Butch Diesslin
President
Gil Knight
Vice President
Patti Crager
Secretary
Sherry Abts
Treasurer
Peg Rosett
Barb Cary-Hall
Lee Tessier
Jim Beatty
Doug Hirdler
Phil Hyde |
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Dorothy's Angels
Corner
Special thanks to Daniel Vega, Peg Rosett, and Steve Jones for helping to assemble shelving and move objects for our storage improvement project!
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