Museums fighting to win attendance battle

By STACIE R. SANDALL

Hays Daily News

Museum attendance in Ellis County has been on the downslide since at least the past year, but their directors are constantly trying to find ways to combat that problem.

Sternberg Museum of Natural History, Hays, is one of those struggling with dwindled attendance since the September 11 tragedy. Museum director Jerry Choate said the museum has gone from admission of 150,000 prior to 9-11 to 50,000.

“Everyone knows that after 9-11, the bottom just dropped out of the entertainment market. Museums all over the country were hit really hard. We had to compensate by making some decisions and one of the decisions we had to make to balance our budget was to go with exhibitions that we could create in-house until we were able to go out and lease one. We can build them as well as anybody,” he said.

One of those in-house exhibits opened Feb. 19 and will run through Aug. 21.

Hays transparent watercolor artist John Cody was inspired at age six by his encounter with a cecropia moth. That encounter left a lasting impression that eventually turned into visual elegance.

Cody combines science and art, using color and texture, to enhance the beauty of the giant silk moths that have captured his heart.

“This is the biggest in-house exhibit we've done. It's all done by museum staff, volunteers and students,” Choate said. “We wanted this as our big summer exhibition, but we also wanted it available for all the school kids, so we thought we would open it early.”

Some of the other ongoing and upcoming work features photographs of an Africa safari called “Journey to South Africa: An Exhibit Experience,” paintings by Dan Varner that depict Kansas during the age of dinosaurs, and a photography exhibit by Robert Lindholm which are paired with a famous speech attributed to Dunawish Indian Chief Seattle.

Museum hours are 9 a.m. until 7 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, and from 1 to 7 p.m. on Sunday.

Ellis County Historical Society in Hays has had low admission at the museum over the past year, but their traveling exhibits are attracting more attention.

“Admission isn't quite as large as it was last year as for people coming in, but we have traveling exhibits that are displays up at different businesses. More people have looked at those and we have had more people looking at the Web site.” said store manager Sharon Behrman.

The Learning Center for children in our balcony has a photo gallery, dress-up clothes, old-time toys, farm animals, a diorama and more. The replica Volga German Haus tells the story of the county's largest immigrant group, the Volga Germans. The stone chapel is also open for tours.

Some of the exhibitions perched at the museum include “Through the Mirror Dimly: Children Through the Lens”, which takes a look at Ellis County children from the past centuries through an ample arrangement of photographs. The photos will be on display until April 8.

Coming up, the historical society will be hosting German Heritage Days on April 1 and 2.

The celebration is full of German songs and folk music, storytelling, cooking, history presentations, a traditional German wedding and polka dance and tours. The audience participation gives visitors a better picture of the German culture in the United States.

“Let's Go Crazy: Crazy Quilt Exhibit” will run April 22 through June 4 with free admission and refreshments.

The gift shop has an extensive selection of shirts, wheat crafts and ethnic gifts.

Museum hours are 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, and also 1 to 5 p.m. on Saturdays from May through September.

The museum is also short on volunteers to help in different areas of the museum.

“We can always use more volunteers. I can't stress that enough,” Behrman said. “I would also love to have a volunteer that could work on the Web site.”

Regular volunteer and those only wanting to volunteer a few hours per week are welcome.

The museum lost its director, Carla Barber, in the middle of January when she retired.

“We're adjusting to that. We're all doing what she did at the moment,” said Behrman.

Bukovina Society of the Americas, Ellis, has also suffered from low admission, but their decline was induced by lack of help.

“We lost our ‘green thumb' gal about a year ago, so we're only open by appointment. Admission's been dragging because of that,” said Society vice president Raymond Haneke. A ‘green thumb' gal, said Haneke, is a government sponsored employee.

The museum is located in the former First Congregational Church with a small library of books and a collection of artifacts from Bukovina immigrants. Some of the collection includes coins, tools, stamp and hand-painted or beaded eggs.

In 1886 Bukovina German families began to settle in Ellis. Their descendants continue to make up a large percentage of the town's population. Over the decades, the

younger generations have somewhat lost their understanding of where this homeland was and what their ancestors had experienced there.

The Bukovina Society of the Americas was formed in Dec. of 1988 to promote the recognition of the immigrants from Bukovina and encourage historical research of their heritage.

Tour information can be sought at 726-3388 or 726-4633.

At the Ellis Railroad Museum, train lovers will enjoy the BK&E miniature train ride on a one-third scale General Motors Aero Streamliner around a 2.5-mile track outside the building.

One can view railroad artifacts and over 5,000 square feet of working model train layout. There is an Ellis History Room, yellow Union Pacific caboose, model train display, depot room and depot building. A doll museum is held in the upper level, featuring a display of over 1,600 baby, clown, bride, Barbie and international dolls.

Museum hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday from April to Oct., 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Saturday from Nov. to March. Year-round, they are open on Sundays from 1 to 5 p.m.

Walter P. Chrysler Boyhood Home and Museum, Ellis, was placed on National Registry of Historical Buildings in 1952.

A 1924 Chrysler owned by Chrysler's grandson Frank Rhodes is on exhibition, along with the shot gun he used duck hunting, jewelry, books, photographs and a video of Chrysler's life.

The museum will be celebrating its 50th anniversary June 10 and 11 with a parade, barbecue, royalty crowning, music, rededication of the home to the citizens of Ellis, testimonies by descendants and Chrysler officials, games, crafts and the Big Creek Riverfest.

Museum hours are 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and 1 to 4 p.m. on Sunday from Oct. to April; and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and 1 to 4 p.m. on Sunday from May to September.

Reporter Stacie Sandall can be reached at (785) 628-1081, ext. 136, or by e-mail at ssandall@dailynews.net.