The from Fruitlands Museum Winter 2015-2016
Winter at Fruitlands is Packed with Art, Nature & History! Enjoy outdoor fun, inspiring films and family programs at Fruitlands this winter. We’ll have sledding, a snowshoe clinic, and drop-in craft workshops along with new Food for Thought film nights and–back by popular demand–Wingmasters: The World of Owls! The Art Museum will house an exhibit that builds on the “Hidden Hudson” show from the fall and showcase even more rarely seen Hudson River School landscape paintings along with a focus on our extensive Native American collection. It will feature ceramics, basketry, animal hides and regalia from across North America that has been in storage for a number of years. With such large collections, Fruitlands has plenty of historic objects to choose from and we hope you’ll drop by to see these fascinating artifacts and learn about America’s Native People and the Hudson River School artists. Don’t forget that Winter Season admission is FREE for museum members and only $5/guest for nonmembers! We’re open on weekends from noon5PM, with activities and programs during the week so be sure to check the event calendar in this newsletter and online at fruitlands.org/events
Kiowa Dispatch Bag I c. 1880 Leather, polychrome beads
Fruitlands collection | Unknown | Oil on canvas
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Fruitlands Newsletter
Winter Season is a bittersweet time on the Fruitlands campus. On one hand, we are eagerly ready for snow as we get the fire pit ready and pull out the sleds in anticipation of fun on the hills and great winter programs. At the same time, we have closed our historic buildings and said goodbye to the Museum Café (and those delicious french-fries) until spring.
exhibit with interesting workshops and activities planned that connect with the shows. Our Food for Thought film series also returns with fortifying soup and conversation to accompany these thoughtful films. Be sure to review the calendar and plan your winter visit remembering that programs take place throughout the week as well as the weekends when the Museum Store, Art Museum, trails and Visitor Center are open. We’ll have the warm beverages ready and look forward to seeing you soon.
Fortunately, the Art Museum is open for our weekend visitors. Based on the overwhelming response to our Centennial Exhibition last winter, we are once again featuring selections from our permanent collection. Special exhibitions highlighting our Native American and Shaker collections will join this fall’s “Hidden Hudson”
P.S. Winter is also an important season for the Museum’s fund-raising goals. I hope you will join me in making a special gift to Fruitlands and supporting the work we do.
From the Director’s Desk
It’s Winter at Fruitlands
Fruitlands Hosts First Cyclocross Race More than 400 athletes participated in the Fruitlands Cup of Cyclocross race on October 24, 2015. A huge thank you to Fruitlands Trustee, John Laupheimer and Gary David of Bell Lap Coaching who designed the course which took full advantage of the hilly terrain. The race attracted visitors from all over the region and raised money for the Museum in the process.
Fruitlands Receives Trails Grant The Baker-Polito administration recently announced that Fruitlands has been granted a 2015 Recreational Trail Grant, one of 30 community projects to receive over $800,000 in grants. Fruitlands will use the $14,730 grant to widen and improve portions of the Fruitlands Museum’s trail system to allow motorized Gator access, allowing individuals with mobility impairments the ability to enjoy the Museum trail system. The project will also fund new interpretive signage related to archaeological sites along the trails. These two initiatives aim to encourage greater public access to the Museum’s natural and cultural resources. Upon announcement of the grant, Fruitlands Executive Director Wyona Lynch-McWhite commented, “We are very pleased that the Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) has awarded this grant to Fruitlands. This funding will be instrumental to increasing access for visitors with limited mobility to explore one of the most beautiful spots in Central Massachusetts. And, the addition of new signs explaining the connections between the natural landscape and the people who have inhabited our Land, will enrich the experience for all our visitors.” This project is supported by a matching grant from the Sun Hill Foundation.
Winter 2015-2016
Fruitlands Museum is holding a 24-hour fund-raising challenge on Tuesday, December 1st. Every gift, no matter the size, will add up to something huge because when we meet our goal this fall, a friend of Fruitlands has offered a matching gift of $10,000! #GivingTuesday is a global day of giving that harnesses the collective power of individuals, communities and organizations to encourage philanthropy and to celebrate generosity worldwide. It is held the first Tuesday after Thanksgiving every year. Donations to Fruitlands help support all areas of the Museum. Gifts can be made online, in person, over the phone, or by mail. Find out more and track our progress at Fruitlands.org/support and on Facebook and Twitter where we’ll be posting special videos and updates throughout the day.
Gifts can be made • Online at Fruitlands.org/support • In person at the Fruitlands Museum Office from 9AM-5PM • Over the phone by calling 978.456.3924 x288 • By mail at 102 Prospect Hill Road, Harvard, MA 01451
Gift Memberships Fruitlands memberships make great holiday gifts for friends, family, teachers, neighbors, business associates, and employees. Membership includes free admission to the Museum and grounds, discounts on events and programming, and a 10% discount at the Museum Store and Museum Cafe. For a complete list of membership levels and benefits, visit our website at www.fruitlands. org/membership or call Holly Mansfield at 978.456.3924 x288.
Questions? Contact Suzanne Myer Smith at 978.456.3924 x289, and get ready to GIVE!
Fruitlands Museum invites middle school and high school aged students to submit two-dimensional or three-dimensional art w ork for an exhibition at Fruitlands in Harvard, MA from April 15-June 19, 2016. Students are encouraged to submit h i-resolution digital photos of their artwork completed in the 2015-2016 academic year for consideration. Please visit www. fruitlands.org/exhibitions,entries for more information and an application.
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Fruitlands Newsletter Please check our inclement weather hotline for cancellations—978.456.3924 x280
Family Discovery Day: Let it Snow!
DECEMBER Family Drop-in Workshop: Simple Gifts
Saturday, January 9 12-4PM
Saturday, December 12 12-4PM Stop in at the Café where we will have all the goodies needed to craft a simple holiday gift or a charming holiday memento. Choose from a Shaker lavender sachet, colorful sun catchers for your window, or a clothespin reindeer ornament. Kits are $2 each and a Museum Interpreter will show you how to put it all together!
Free with Admission Kick off the winter season with this afternoon of all things snow. Make winter crafts including snowflake garlands, snow globes, and paintings made with ice. Read picture books about snow and the winter landscape. And if there is snow on the fields and hills, you can join us for a snowman building workshop, too!
JANUARY WinterFest
Winter Walk with Family and Friends Saturday, December 19 1-2PM Explore nature in this hour-long ramble across fields and glens at Fruitlands Museum. Interpreters will lead participants in a guided walk along Fruitlands’ most notable features—archaeological sites, scenic vistas of the Nashua River Valley, and our thriving forest—as we watch for signs of winter. This walk covers a mile of varied terrain and should be considered moderately easy. Trail shoes, walking stick, and warm hats recommended.
Saturdays and Sundays, January 9-March 26 12-5PM Members FREE, Nonmembers $5/person Winter at Fruitlands means outdoor fun and adventure! Bring your sleds, snowshoes, and cross country skis for some high-energy fun as you explore our snow-covered hills and woodland trails. If you prefer a little quiet contemplation and reflection, make a visit to the Art Museum to view a selection of objects from the Native American collection or visit our special exhibition Hidden Hudson. Whatever your preference, hot chocolate and a toasty fire will help to keep you warm this winter season!
FEBRUARY Winter Hiking Clinic with JUMP Saturday, February 6 1-4PM Free with Admission Hit the trails with educators from Just Understand My Potential (JUMP) and learn critical cold weather hiking and survival skills while enjoying nature in Fruitlands wintery woodlands. Waterproof footwear, gloves, and hats strongly recommended.
Family Drop-in Workshop: Pop-Up Valentine Cards Saturday, February 13 1-4PM Free with Admission Give your sweetheart a handcrafted St.Valentine’s card made with love. Join us for a fun drop-in workshop where Museum Interpreters will show you how to make three fanciful pop up cards—each with a unique heart-shaped message of love! All materials provided.
Winter 2015-2016
Snowshoeing Clinic with EMS Saturday, February 20 12-4PM Free with Admission Meet the staff of Eastern Mountain Sports and learn the essentials of snowshoeing on the Fruitlands fields. Equipment will be available for loan so you can set out to practice this energetic winter sport on the Museum’s hills and trails.
MARCH Winter Hiking Clinic with JUMP Saturday, March 12 1-4PM Free with Admission Hit the trails with educators from Just Understand My Potential (JUMP) and learn critical cold weather hiking skills while enjoying nature in Fruitlands wintery woodlands. Waterproof footwear, gloves, and hats strongly recommended.
Wingmasters: The World of Owls Sunday, March 10 1-2PM Children under 12 years $5 each Members $10, Nonmembers $15 includes admission to Winterfest This program shows how owls use their specialized powers of sight, hearing and flight to survive and thrive. A wealth of fact and folklore about these masters of the night explains the natural and unnatural history of owls. A variety of live North American owls provides the focus of this 60-minute presentation. Space is limited. To register call 978-456-3924 x291 or email programming@fruitlands.org
In Praise of Fruitlands’ Dedicated Interpreters “I’m moved to drop you a note about my recent visit to Fruitlands... We’ve been there many times as I’ve been card carrying member for years. I’m grateful for the invaluable experience we receive at each visit. But this trip was EXTRAORDINARY ... a true gem was the ingenious docent at the Farmhouse. She cleverly gave each individual child a role as an Alcott sister and their cousin William ... then proceeded to help them get in character (with dress up), explained each room, [and] asked THEM questions ... Any time you really make an impression like this, it can be truly life-changing. Great job to all!” Thank you, Christine Brooks 9/9/2015
When not in character, the people in the photo are: Kaitlyn Brown, Grace Brown, Georgia Brooks, Sydney Brown, Johno Brooks.
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Fruitlands Reads
Book Group Fruitlands Museum is proud to present five captivating books that link with the museum permanent collections and many of the ideas and themes they embody. Read along and join Fruitlands staff for lively discussions and light refreshments throughout the year. Limited quantities of each title are available at the Fruitlands Museum Store. Check our website for dates of more Book Group meetings later in the year.
Sunday, March 6, 1-2PM—March by Geraldine Brooks Winner of the Pulitzer Prize! From Louisa May Alcott’s beloved classic Little Women, Geraldine Brooks has animated the character of the absent father, March. Brooks follows March as he leaves behind his family to aid the Union cause in the Civil War. His experiences will utterly change his marriage and challenge his most ardently held beliefs. March secures Geraldine Brooks’ place as a renowned author of historical fiction. For more information on this book visit www.fruitlands.org/bookgroup
Museum Store Features Gifts for All Seasons Fruitlands Museum Store offers a great selection of handmade holiday ornaments, jewelry, original water colors, prints, baby knits, ceramics, glass and more from local artisans!
HolidayOpen House
Saturday, December 12, 12-5PM
Additional 5% discount for all customers! • Free Gift Wrapping • Refreshments • Children’s Crafts Activities • Meet the Vendors
Museum Store Hours Winter Season: Saturdays and Sundays 12–5 PM
FRUITLANDS WELCOMES NEW ARTISAN C.A.S. Handmade Inc., of Sterling, MA, joined the artisans at the store in October with locally designed and hand stitched bags in several styles and colors—www.cas-handmade.com
Food For Thought Film Series
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March of the Penguins (FAMILY EDITION) Sunday, December 20 Film: 1:00-2:30PM, Activities: 2:30-4:00PM Suggested Donation: $5/person Braving icy winds, freezing temperatures and starvation, this is the incredible true story of an Emperor penguin’s quest to bring new life into the world. Following the film, families can make their own diorama of a wintery scene. TINY Wednesday, January 13, 7:00-8:30PM Suggested Donation: $5/person From 1970 to 2010, the average size of a new house in America has almost doubled. Yet in recent years, many are redefining their American Dream to focus on flexibility, financial freedom, and quality of life over quantity of space. TINY takes us inside six homes that are smaller than the average parking space, stripped to their essentials, exploring the owners’ stories and the design innovations that make them work.
Trash Dance Wednesday, February 10, 7:00-8:30PM Suggested Donation: $5/person Choreographer Allison Orr finds beauty and grace in garbage trucks, and in the unseen men and women who pick up our trash. On an abandoned airport runway, two dozen trash collectors and their trucks deliver—for one night only—a stunningly beautiful and moving performance, in front of an audience of thousands. American Commune Wednesday, March 2 7:00-8:30PM, Suggested Donation: $5/person In 1970, 1,500 hippies and their guru, Stephen Gaskin, founded a commune in rural Tennessee. Raised in this alternative community, filmmakers and sisters Rena and Nadine return for the first time since leaving in 1985. The film charts the rise and fall of America’s largest utopian socialist experiment and the women’s own family tree. American Commune finds inspiration in failure, humor in deprivation and, most surprisingly, that communal values are alive and well in the next generation. Children of the Arctic Wednesday, March 23 7:00-8:30PM Suggested Donation: $5/person Photo credit: Kevin Hoth Children of the Arctic is a year-in-the-life portrait of Native Alaskan teenagers coming of age in Barrow, Alaska—the northern-most community of the United States. Under the weight of societal and environmental issues, these promising teenagers are finding it challenging to sustain the adaptability that has long defined their people in one of the most inhospitable places on earth.
Art in Nature 2015 Award Results First Place in the Juried competition to Oshkosh by Brendan Stecchini
First Place in the Popular Vote competition to Flight by Bernie Zubrowski
Second Place in the Juried competition to Flight by Bernie Zubrowski
Second Place in the Popular Vote competition to Oshkosh by Brendan Stecchini
Third Place in the Juried competition to Bete de Lascaux by Madeleine Lord
Third Place in the Popular Vote competition to Fantail by Bernie Zubrowski
Mark Your Calendar Nonprofit org. U.S. Postage PAID Permit No. 102 Harvard, MA 01451
December 12—Family-Drop-in Workshop Simple Gifts December 19—Winter Walk with Family & Friends
102 Prospect Hill Road Harvard, MA 01451
January 9 - March 26—WinterFest January 9—Family Discovery Day: Let it Snow! February 6—Winter Hiking Clinic with JUMP February 13—Family Drop-in Workshop: Pop-Up Valentine Cards February 20—Winter Sports Clinic with EMS March 12—Winter Hiking Clinic with JUMP March 10—Wingmasters: The World of Owls
More information on upcoming events at www.fruitlands.org
Become a Member!
Enjoy the many benefits of membership, including unlimited free admission and a 10% discount at the Museum Store and Fruitlands Café. Visit our website or call 978.456.3924 ext. 288.
Executive Committee Marie LeBlanc, President Ken Cochrane, Vice President Kerry Lewis, Secretary Ellen Hazen, Treasurer
MUSEUM HOURS Winter Season Art Museum, Visitor Center & Store Open November 8, 2015 - March 26, 2016 Weekends: 12 - 5PM The Fruitlands Café and historic buildings will reopen on April 15, 2016
Board of Trustees Eileen deCastro Kent dur Russell Todd K. Helwig John Laupheimer John Ott Heidi Hunter Siegrist Peter Von Loesecke
DIRECTIONS Rt 2 to exit 38A. Go South on 110 to first right onto Old Shirley Road. Follow road 2.5 miles, Fruitlands is on the right.
Museum programs are sponsored in part by the following partners and members like you!
Fruitlands Museum is a proud member of:
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