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Museum Store Sunday caps holiday weekend

BY ALEX GALLAGHER Progress Staff Writer

Museum Store Sunday is slated to return on today, Nov. 28, capping off the busiest shopping weekend across the nation. And Western Spirit: Scottsdale’s Museum of the West has joined over 1,650 museums in the fifth annual event.

Museum Store Sunday gives customers a chance to score locally handcrafted relics at the Sue and Robert Karatz Museum Store at Western Spirit.

Jeffrey White, the museum store manager, said some items will be marked down by as much as 50 percent. The store will also be participating in Cyber Monday with 25 percent reductions on select styles of wheelhouse socks.

Non-museum members also have a chance to take advantage of exclusive savings.

“Normally, if you’re a member, you receive a small discount, so this is where we open it up to members and non-members to receive the same discount,” said White “Given that we’re a non-profit organization, there are no taxes.” The first 10 customers that spend at least $25 will receive a gift bag. If they spend $50 or more, they will receive an individual membership along with their purchase. Another benefit of shopping at The Sue and Robert Karatz Museum Store at Western Spirit is that most of the items for sale are locally sourced and created by local artisans.

“We offer unique gift ideas that are purchased locally and we have a lot of artisans that the big box stores won’t have,” said White. “Since these artisans are not getting their supplies from overseas by getting

The Sue and Robert Karatz Museum Store at Western Spirit will be participating today in the fifth annual Museum Store Sunday by offering up to 50 percent off se-

lect merchandise and several other sales. (Courtesy of Western Spirit: Scottsdale’s Museum of the West) seeMUSEUM page 28

Scottsdale church the venue for kids’ musical

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The Act One Youth Theater’s upcoming musical in Scottsdale not only offers some holiday entertainment but has chosen an outdoor venue that will enable the audience to enjoy Arizona’s late fall weather and add a layer of precaution against COVID-19.

The theater will present “Snow White and the Prince” behind the Open Arms Church, 4640 N. Granite Reef Road, at 7 p.m. Dec. 2 and 3, 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. Dec. 4 and 1 p.m. Dec. 5. Tickets are available at actoneyouththeater.org.

Owner/director Lauri Hunter started the theater for kids 6-18 seven years ago after her daughter graduated from high school and went on to study performing arts in New York.

“My daughter actually got me interested in theater when she was 12. So I volunteered in a multitude of capacities at several adult and children’s theaters in the Valley – including costuming and volunteering on one of the theater boards,” she said. “When she was getting ready to go off to her performing arts school in NY, I didn’t want to leave that world. I also saw a need for a third theater in Scottsdale.” She has persisted with the nonprofit theater despite challenges, last-minute disappointments and a lot of work.

“Money has always been a factor,” said Hunter, who volunteers virtually all her time to the theater or its support – including making the costumes and paying for the material she needs.

Then again, she added, “My grandma taught me to sew when I was 12 and I’ve been sewing ever since. I always sewed my daughter’s costumes when she did shows at other theaters. Eventually a few theaters hired me to costume their shows – both adult and children’s theaters.”

Then there are challenges that come out of left field – like “losing our venue at the last minute three different times for various reasons in the seven years I’ve been doing this.”

“But as they say ‘The show must go on.’ So I reached out to my board and members in my community to ask help us find alternate venues. We’ve always come through and been able to perform as scheduled.”

Finding a venue for “Snow White and the Prince” also presented a challenge.

“We used to perform at Phoenix Center for the Arts, but due to COVID, I felt finding a venue outdoors would be safer for the actors and the attendees of our shows,” she said. “Finding an outdoor venue was the hardest. None we could afford. So I reached out to a church I knew about and asked if we could rent the empty space behind their facility.”

The kids are excited about the prospects of performing live for the second time this season, Hunter said, after several virtual performances that can be seen on the theater company’s YouTube page.

“The kids and their families were extremely happy to be performing live again,” she said.

Handcrafted ornaments are among the many locally made gifts people can fi nd at

the museum’s store. (Courtesy of Western Spirit: Scottsdale’s Museum of the West)

MUSEUM from page 27

them locally and that affords us the benefit of having merchandise and not having to wait for something to come off a ship.”

Not only does a purchase from the museum store support the museum, but it also supports the local economy.

“This is aiding the museum in its operational costs, supporting the local economy, supporting local and indigenous artists and it’s a big continuous cycle of support,” said Western Spirit spokesman David Scholefield. “Another good thing this does is this introduces people to the arts and crafts that are available in the area so when they’re on their next trip out of town they will go look for the artist’s shop.”

This sale comes at a perfect time for Western Spirit: Scottsdale’s Museum of the West as it is still celebrating the opening of two exciting exhibits: Light and Legacy: The Art and Techniques of Edward S. Curtis and a collaborative exhibit with Arizona Highways titled “The Art of our Photography.”

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Shoppers who fi nish early will want to check out the museum’s exhibits, including Edwin Curtis’ photos of Native Americans in the West in the early 1900s. (Progress fi le photo)

“With two new exhibits on, people have been buying a memento of these new exhibits,” said Scholefield. “That is why (Jeffrey) has four books on Edward S. Curtis, some of Curtis’ prints and copies of the most recent version of Arizona Highways. When people travel somewhere they will want either a magnet, a t-shirt or a book that memorializes their visit.”

However, one of the most special items on the shelves is an autographed copy of “Unpublished Alaska,” a compilation of unreleased prints of the works of Edward S. Curtis that's written and autographed by Coleen Graybill and her husband John Edward Graybill, who is the great-grandson of Curtis.

Beyond such rarer items on his shelves, White expects to see strong sales on a plethora of merchandise.

“We have so many varied items like hand-painted ornaments made by an artist from Tucson that sell well, copper ornaments that are locally crafted, cowboy boot shaped Christmas stockings, as well as our clothing and ironwood tend to sell well,” he said. “There is no singular item that sells better than the others, it’s really the combination of what we have.”

Because of this, White has ramped up his efforts and is anxious to open the doors to shoppers on Museum Store Sunday.

“This is a big push for us,” he said. “There are over 1,650 museums representing all 50 states that join in on museum store Sunday so we’re trying to carve that out as our niche and make it a unique buying experience for our customers.”

Shop till you drop

What: Museum Store Sunday When: Today, Nov. 28, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Where: Western Spirit: Scottsdale’s Museum of the West 3830 N. Marshall Way Info: scottsdalemuseumwest.org/ sue-and-robert-karatz-museumstore

PLAY from page 27

Hunter designs the sets and sketches out the artwork for the backdrops and “then parents help me build and paint.” Hunter shows no sign of giving up on her passion and hopes one day she can find the money to build a permanent facility “so the kids in our community can continue to shine on stage.” "Schools no longer have the money to put on productions for our children,” she said. “I believe theater should be a part of every curriculum as it teaches them to be creative thinkers, team members, and confident public speakers.”