MARION HERITAGE CENTER & MUSEUM News from the Marion Historical Society April 2017

Members and Friends of the Marion Historical Society,

A sincere thank you to our Board of Directors, staff and volunteers for making 2016 another outstanding year. The Veterans of the Korean and Vietnam Wars exhibition and programs have been well attended and we thank the speakers and many contributors for their efforts. I'm pleased to report the exhibition has been a hit with the schools too and we've hosted many classes of students from Marion High School and Vernon Middle School. There will be one more program in April before the exhibition closes. Art by your Friends and Neighbors opens on May 20, 2017, chaired by Jay Kacena.

Remember our 5th Annual Pancake Breakfast will be Saturday, May 13 (7:00-11: 00 a.m.) - all-you-can eat pancakes, flipped by yours truly, plus eggs, sausage, coffee, juice and rolls. We need your support to continue to bring you our excellent exhibits and programs.

I'm pleased to report that in April the City Council designated the Marion Heritage Center & Museum as the caretaker and official repository of historic city artifacts and information. The details are still to be worked out.

On behalf of myself and the other members of your Board of Directors I want to thank Greg Hapgood for his 2 1/2 years as a board member and welcome Suzanne Barnes to the board. Thanks to each of you for your continued support through corporate memberships, family memberships, gifts, volunteer-ing, etc. and to Lynette Brenzel, our Executive Director for her continued success in grant writing.

Vic Klopfenstein, President, Marion Historical Society

If you missed seeing the Veterans of the Korean and Vietnam Wars video or want to watch it again it's available on our web site. Remember this is just 25 minutes of "highlights," and the complete 1-hour videos for each veteran are available for viewing at the Heritage Center, and soon, at the Library of Congress in Washington D.C.

Many thanks to the Linn County Board of Supervisors Witwer Trust for the grant that partially funded the project & Jack and Doreen Zumwalt for producing the videos, their valuable advice and donating many hours of work to the production. Thanks also to Judy Saluri, with an assist from Darrell Stahl, who watched and listened to every minute and produced an index that gives viewers instant access to any subject or segment.

John Nieland at his encore presentation of the History of the Vietnam War. We're also grateful to John, and Dick Cooper as well, for coming in to support our Marion High School student-tours.

We remember members Charlie Kress and Stephen Miller who have passed since the last newsletter.

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Issue #: [Date] Dolor Sit Amet April 2017 Marion Heritage Center & Museum 447-6376

Schedule: Meet-Your-Neighborhood-Artist Reception

5th Annual Pancake Breakfast Fund-raiser

Saturday, May 13, 2017, 7:00 A.M.-11:00 A.M. All-you-can-eat pancakes. See a board member or visit the Center for advance tickets $7.00; $8.00 at the door. Donations accepted and appreciated. Major sponsors: Quaker Oats & Hy-Vee.

Sponsored in part by:

May 1-19 Museum will be changing exhibits. Upstairs gallery closed.

The Peace Movement

Sunday, April 30, 2017, 1:30-3:00 P.M. Board-member Vicki Hughes will discuss the origins of the 20th century peace movement and U.S. culture of the 1960's and 70's. Admission is free courtesy of the McIntyre Foundation.

Good Road: Bicycles, Motorcycles and Automobiles on Iowa's Transcontinental Highway.

Long before it became part of the original Lincoln Highway, the roadway loop through downtown Marion and Cedar Rapids, and continuing across the state, hosted scores of speed and endurance contests, relays and races, continental transits and other amazing firsts. By foot, bicycle, motorcycle, automobile and truck, Iowans in this transportation corridor witnessed supreme efforts by men, women and machines, and participated in putting the nation's first national road on the map. Share your family photos, stories and collections with us during this 1878 to 1919 time period. Call the Center and volunteer to part of the Transcontinental exhibition. Celebrate our heritage. . . It's Yours!

Opening Saturday, September 30, 2017 Noon-4:00 P.M.

Opening: 16th Annual Art by Your Friends & Neighbors Exhibition

Saturday, May 20, 2017, 10:00 A.M.-5:00 P.M. Artwork of all kinds from over 60 different local artists and artisans. Vote for your favorite artist and help them win the People's Choice award. Sponsored by Hills Bank & Trust. Exhibition closes July 29. Free admission courtesy of Hills Bank and the McIntyre Foundation.

Sunday, May 28, 2017, 2:00-3:30 P.M. A recep-tion for the artists and their families, our sponsor--Hills Bank & Trust, and the public. Meet the artists and make some new friends. Admission is free courtesy of Hills Bank.

Aug. 1- Sept. 29 Museum closed to change exhibits.

Drawing Class

Sunday, June 11, 2017, 1:30-3:30 P.M. Historical Society Board and Creative Artists Group-member Jay Kacena will conduct a class in basic drawing. Audience participation will be encouraged with supplies provided by the Heritage Center. Admission is free courtesy of the McIntyre Foundation.

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Issue #: [Date] Dolor Sit Amet April 2017 Marion Heritage Center & Museum 447-6376

Marion Historical Society Mission

The Marion Historical Society is a membership organization that serves to engage the public in the history, traditions, resources and on-going preservation of the Heritage Center museum for the enrichment of the community.

For more information about joining call 447-6376

E-mail to: marionheritage@marionhistoricalsociety.org

See our website: http://www.marionheritagecenter

www.facebook.com/MarionHeritageCenter

Mailing address: P.O. Box 753, Marion, IA 52302-0753

If your mail was returned please call us.

Marion Historical Society, Inc.

Board of Directors:

Vic Klopfenstein, President Jay Kacena, Vice-president Nevin Meredith, Treasurer Judith Hull, Secretary Suzanne Barnes Vicki Hughes Erik Miles

Meetings are held the 4th Thursday of each month at 3:30 P.M. at the Heritage Center.

Thank you to retiring board member Greg Hapgood for his 2 1/2 years of service to the Heritage Center.

Welcome our newest Board member: Suzanne Barnes. Suzanne has lived in the area for 37 years, moving to Marion from Cedar Rapids after the 2008 flood. She worked as a writer for the CR Gazette for 36 years. Suzanne has two step-granddaughters attending school in the Linn-Mar School District. Her husband, Jim passed away in 1999 after more than 30 years of service in the Cedar Rapids Police Department, including 15 years as Assistant Chief of the Detective Bureau.

From our Vice-President Jay Kacena: Dear Members & Friends,

2017 marks sixtheen years that “Art by Your Friends and Neighbors” has been exhibited at the Heritage Center. Over these years, the artistic creations of hundreds of local artists have adorned the walls and display cases of our gallery. In addition to living area artists, the works of a number of accomplished former citizen/painters have been displayed. Do you remember Maria Gerstman? George Glass? Both of these artists had followings far beyond Marion. For several years Mr. Glass even organized a local art show for several years at the Boston Store. Remember Emma Safely, of Springville, who taught the joy of painting at the YMCA? How about L.B. DeWees, another early Marion artist, and railroad-man, Theodore Munger?

Since 2001, the Heritage Center art show has opened on the same day as the nationally acclaimed Marion Arts Festival. That event draws 13,000+ visitors to City Square Park to see and purchase the work of artists and artisans from across the United States. Since few of them are from Iowa, our exhibition gives art lovers a chance to see that we have many folks with skill and talent right here too.

We are very grateful for the sponsorship of Hills Bank and Trust Company, which makes this event possible each year, including prize money for the 3 most popular exhibits. Be sure to vote for your favorite between May 20 and July 29, and thank the folks at Hills the next time you go in.

The Heritage Center & Museum is important to art lovers, historians and everyone in Marion. Remember – I t 's Yours!

Jay Kacena, Chairman, Art by Your Friends and Neighbors

Issue #: [Date] Dolor Sit Amet

April 2017 Marion Heritage Center & Museum 447-6376