Professional Documents
Culture Documents
EXHIBITS
Gifts From Japan, 2
Picture Rocks, 4
GALLERY
Rex Silvernail &
Cheryl Morris, 5
Rebecca Roush &
Eric Olson, 6
FRIENDS OF MAC
Spotlight, 7
COLLECTIONS CALL
Disasters in Grant Co., 8
Farm Life, 8
CALENDAR
Upcoming Events, 10
Japan
dozen other creatures are also produced. Every
year students and chaperones from Moses Lake are
invited to visit Yonezawa craftsman, Kanpu Toda,
at his shop, Yozan, to observe the creation of these
distinctive folk crafts.
The bronze hawk is not the only major piece of
sculpture given to Moses Lake by Yonezawa. The
first was the bronze Friendship Statue, currently on
display outside of City Hall. The piece is the sister of
a statue located along Yonezawa Blvd. in the City
of Yonezawa. The stone lanterns in the Moses Lake
A Legacy of Goodwill Japanese Peace Garden on Alder Street were also
gifted to the City.
The recent visit of the Moses Lake Goodwill Envoy The next time you pay your utility bill at Moses Lake’s
from Yonezawa City, Japan in August marked City Hall, note the glass display cases located to
the 28th anniversary of a partnership and student the left of the front entrance, where many of the
exchange formed between the two cities in 1981. gifts given by the City of Yonezawa are on display
Each year, Moses Lake has received gifts from the year-round. Each item is a reflection of the rich and
2
ancient history of Japan. One of Also on display for the festivities
the most pointedly historical pieces was a selection of pieces from
is a gunbai, or sumo referee’s the children’s artwork collection
paddle, from the 16th Century. The housed at the Museum, comprised
fan-shaped paddle is both a beau- of hundreds of paintings, drawings
tiful yet functional item, part of and calligraphy given to the City
the pageantry and ritual of sumo of Moses Lake by the children of
wrestling. It is a tool of the gyōji, a Yonezawa (see photos this page,
professional sumo referee, used to center and bottom). Originally
signal instructions and to designate intended to be displayed only for
the winner at the end of a sumo the duration of the delegation’s
bout. The gunbai was traditionally visit, the children’s artwork quickly
used by samurai officers to signal became a visitor favorite at the
to their troops on the battlefield, Museum and enjoyed an extend-
hence it is frequently referred to as ed exhibition. The question most
a “war fan.” often asked has been to inquire
if Moses Lake children send their
In addition to the sister city con-
artwork to Yonezawa. At this time,
nection, Moses Lake has numerous
the answer is no. However, enough
other ties to Japan including Japan
interest has been expressed to
Airlines (JAL) and the Japanese
suspect that a similar goodwill art
Agricultural Training Program of
package will be delivered to Yone-
the Big Bend Community College
zawa by the exchange envoy next
Foundation. Moses Lake resident,
year, fostered in part by the sup-
the late Dr. Robert Mason was the
port of the Moses Lake Museum
Director of the training program
and Art Center. Another generous
from 1974 to 1991. Over the course
gift given at this year’s goodwill
of nearly twenty years with the
envoy dinner was the decision
program he and his wife received
by Japan Airlines to donate air
many gifts from friends and officials
service between Moses Lake and
in Japan. In 2003, Dr. Mason’s wife
Japan for the express purpose of
Margaret donated their collection
continuing the sister city exchange
to the Moses Lake Museum and
in 2009. What the future holds be-
Art Center. The Mason Collection is
yond that is unsure, however hope
currently on display at the museum
for the future is best expressed
in an exhibit entitled Gifts from
in the words of the Roman poet
Japan.
Horace (65-8 B.C.), Exegi monu-
Gifts from Japan features items mentum aere perennius, “I have
from the Mason Collection, a erected a monument more lasting
vintage kimono donated by Susan than bronze.” In this phrase Hor-
Blackwell and two Sasano Ittobori carvings given by ace, who often wrote referring to his lasting place in
the City of Yonezawa. Mounted in honor of Yoneza- the public sphere, claimed that he would live
wa’s Goodwill Envoy, the exhibit officially opened forever. Whether by words or action the future of
the evening of the annual dinner honoring the the link forged between Moses Lake and Yonezawa
envoy at the Museum immediately following their is bound by a tradition of international understand-
arrival in the United States on August 15, 2008. ing and a gift of goodwill that is solid bronze. o
3
East’s Scrapbook tells story of “Picture Rocks”
Scrapbooking is as popular a pastime as ever.
Photos, newspaper clippings, letters and other bits
of ephemera are commonplace items used to mark
the times, places and stories worth remembering.
These unique records of individuals, families, organi-
zations, and associations do however create some
equally unique conservation concerns.
With time, scrapbook pages can become brittle,
items detach or tear, and bindings can also break.
When the basic storage and preventative conserva-
tion practices are not enough, museums are faced Tom Stockdale (left) and Adam H. East (right) shot the
with the question, to reformat or not to reformat? rapids along the Columbia River in 1946, to document
the region’s remaining ancient petroglyphs.
The most pressing concern when reformatting a
scrapbook is to maintain the historic character of
central Yucatán peninsula in the 1930s; and closer
the items within. Does the arrangement tell a story
to home, archaeology was making news when
outside of the individual items? Is the scrapbook
radio-carbon dating was developed by University of
worth saving as a whole balanced against conser-
Chicago chemist Willard F. Libby in 1949. This mar-
vation costs? When the best choice is reformatting,
riage of science and archaeology opened the door
scrapbook items can be removed from their original
for interdisciplinary collaboration with geologists,
books and separately enclosed in archival quality
biologists, botanists and others that have yielded
folders or envelopes to enable better access for
the new generation of archaeological discoveries.
research or exhibition purposes.
During the 1940s and 50s East’s scrapbooking
It was through examining the immense collection
focus turned to the preservation of the Columbia
of reformatted scrapbook newspaper clippings
River “picture rocks,” or petroglyphs. Rising waters
saved by the Moses Lake Museum founder Adam
brought by the construction of hydroelectric dams
H. East that the story of the Columbia River picture
along the river threatened to inundate hundreds of
rocks came to life. Born in 1871, East developed a
archaeological resources, among them the ancient
taste for archaeology, primarily as a collector of
rock carvings. Deciphering the meaning behind the
ancient “curios” during his childhood in Illinois. As
carvings fascinated East more than marking their
an amateur archaeologist working in the Columbia
creation through chronological time, he believed
Basin beginning in his thirties East’s interests matured
more could be learned about the inhabitants of the
to include the wider world of archaeology and he
Columbia waterway by understanding their writings.
was compelled to save news articles heralding the
archaeological discoveries of the day. In 1946, East, then 74, embarked on a 400-mile boat
trip along the Columbia River in order to document
Through East’s news clippings the reader sees
the rock carvings between Vantage and Portland,
Egypt’s influence on advertising, fashion and archi-
OR. The story of the trip was preserved in East’s
tecture during the 1920s when the discovery of King
notes and scrapbook of newspaper articles docu-
Tut’s tomb by English archaeologist Howard Carter
menting the adventure.
was all the rage; the fascinating puzzle of Maya
hieroglyphs unraveling through archaeologist Sylva- Visit the Moses Lake Museum to read more about
nus G. Morley’s work at Chichen Itza on the north- East’s journey in the new exhibit “Picture Rocks.” o
4
MAC Gallery
Beginning September 12, and continuing through
October 31, 2008, the MAC Gallery will feature sculptor
Rex Silvernail of LaCenter, Washington. Silvernail’s
collection of commanding wood pieces may make
visitors mindful of last fall’s gallery dominating works by
visiting artist Betty Bastai. Working with an installation of
this scale is a relatively uncommon treat for the MAC.
Best viewed at multiple angles, Silvernail’s sculptures
are deceivingly fluid in nature despite being the direct
result of intentional design and manipulation. On the
history of his methods Silvernail explains,
“The structural concepts reflect an interest I
have in the art of joinery. I became interested in
primitive methods of combining materials while
studying and observing various original peoples
Fisherman, Cheryl Morris
in the western coastal region of Canada. The
construction methods appear unsophisticated.
They are techniques that were used by prehistoric
peoples to build shelters, utensils, and religious
objects. The appearance of simplicity belies the
complexity of these techniques.”
On another scale, Cheryl Morris presents a body of
work seen through the eye-of-a-needle, so to speak.
“Hole-istic” is a collection of dream-like images
created using lens-less, or pinhole photography.
Considered a direct opposite of today’s “instant
images” that are produced by the click of a digital
shutter, this relatively low-technological method of light
capture can produce unpredictable but amazingly
magical images. Also on display, there will be several
types of pinhole cameras including a converted
1954 Ansco Shur-Shot Jr., an Altoid tin camera, and a
quart-size paint can. No matter the form, Morris utilizes
the same technology, namely a light-tight box with a
pinehole in one end, a piece of film or photographic
paper at the other end and some sort of shutter, as
simple as a piece of paper or her thumb. o
5
Corvus Antiquus, Rebecca Roush
6
Friends of MAC To support the Museum at higher levels or for
program and exhibition sponsorships, please
contact MAC at 509-766-9395. Thank you!
When it comes to our members, we
think they shine brighter than all of
the rest. So we want to say thank
you by putting them right back into MAC Membership Form
the spotlight. We have created
two new membership categories, NEW Renew
general and contributing members, each with their
own special benefits aimed at getting the word out _______________________________________________
Member name Mr. Mrs. Ms. Dr. Business
about how much we appreciate our members.
7
Collections CALL MAC is seeking photographs, newspaper articles,
first-hand accounts, oral histories, etc. to supple-
ment the Disasters in Grant County exhibit. Please
contact us to loan or donate your items and share
Among the new exhibits scheduled for 2009, MAC your stories about the following events.
will open an in-house history exhibit in January en-
titled Disasters in Grant County, based on Dr. Robert
• C-124 Globemaster Air Force plane crash at
H. Ruby’s preliminary research materials for a book
Larson Air Force Base on 12/20/1952.
by the same title, which he generously donated to
the Museum in 2007. • Floods of 1949 and 1957.
• Blizzard of 1949-1950 and harsh winters in
The vast Columbia Basin is by nature semi-arid
1968 and 1996.
country. When wild horses roamed the grasslands
the Basin was a passageway for this region’s first • Arsonist fires in downtown Moses Lake in
explorers, miners and cattle ranchers, then came September 1953.
the homesteaders. For nearly 30 years, the Basin • U&I Sugar Factory Explosion on 09/26/1963.
received record amounts of rainfall and wheat • Japan Air Lines plane crash on 06/24/1969.
production skyrocketed. One of the first Grant
• Haystack Fires of August 1970.
County disasters was the drought which reduced
the wheat crops to one tenth of what was assumed • Mount St. Helens Eruption in May 1980.
to be normal production. The farmers and ranchers • School Shooting at Frontier Junior High
drifted on. School on 02/02/1996.
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Remember MAC as the repository for your
Columbia Basin area photographs, year-
books, clothing, ephemera, etc. Once
items are donated, we carefully catalog
and document them, as well as protect
and preserve items from further deteriora-
tion. Your keepsakes, memorabilia, and
memories expand on our collections to
supplement exhibits and as resources for
visiting researchers. Donor information is
kept with all items and credit is given when
they are ever used. Call us today to begin
the donation process. We are here to tell
NEH’s traveling exhibit Farm Life comes to Moses Lake in
the stories of Central Washington.
May 2009.
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MAC Recap
CALENDAR
Of Events
Please register in advance at MAC or Moses Lake Parks &
Rec for classes and workshops. Free Family Saturdays fill
on a first come first serve basis the day of.
Koi Windsock
Ages: 7 years and older
Date: September 27, 2008
Time: Session 1: 12:30 – 2:00 PM
Session 2: 2:30 – 4:00 PM
Cost: $10, MAC Members $9
Instructor: Freya Hart
Limit: 8 per session
In Japan, Koi Windsocks are thought to bring
good luck as they swim in the wind. Display your
windsock indoors or outdoors where it will stay dry.
Watch the colors flash and splash as your art blows
in gentle breezes!
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NEW AND RENEWING Lavonne Spray Associate $55
Mike & Sandra Stevenson Scott & Shelley Campbell