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MUSEUM HAPPENINGS |
December 29, 2023 |
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Goodbye 2023 and Hello 2024!
2023 in Review and What's Ahead for 2024
| | Part I: Social Media Posts |
In case you missed it, here are some of the most liked, shared, and commented on posts from 2023. Follow the links to read the original posts or social media series. Unless noted, these posts are from the Friday Then and Now series. |
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| The weekly Then and Now series tells history through pairs of historic and contemporary photos. WEAU News 13 celebrated 70 years as a television station on December 23 and people were happy to reminisce about WEAU. |
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| Christina Eichert had a 40% share in the brewery founded by her brother John Walter. That partnership built a very fine house. Widowed young, she and her three children lived in this house together for a mere seven months. Find out why. |
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Shown here are Frank and Susie Cadotte in full dance regalia at Lac Courte Oreilles, 1948. Learn more about their regalia and its place in Chippewa Valley history by reading this post from the Chippewa Valley History series. You can also hear Marge Hebbring talk about the Cadotte family in the October 5th episode of the museum's Who What When podcast.
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| In 1949, brothers Chet, Stir, and Budge Wagner teamed up with father and son Glen and Hollis Hopkins to open a 20-lane bowling alley on Brackett Avenue. More than a few remember bowling at Wagner's. |
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| Taverns are popular social spots and generate lots of memories. Al Scott's bar, formerly located at 118 W. Madison, is one of two tavern posts in the Top 10. It is also featured in the Reflections of Eau Claire book published earlier this year by the Chippewa Valley Museum Press. |
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| The weekly #CVMBaseball social media series complemented the Play Ball exhibit. The most popular post from that series, as well as the third most Liked and most Shared museum post in 2023, was a write-up about Eau Claire's connection to the Milwaukee Brewers logo. |
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| Hundreds of people connected with the post about Eau Claire's first McDonald's Drive-In. The comments are worth reading. |
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As the original post states, "If you're looking for a great view, visit Elk Mound Park, where a 25-foot observation tower crowns one of the tallest points in Dunn County." You will have to wait until the park road opens in the spring, but it's worth a visit. Read more about this site in this year's most popular post from the Wednesday #ChippewaValleyHistory series.
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| Ray's Place has been a Water Street staple since 1949. It was the museum's most shared Facebook post in 2023, beating out the Elk Mound post by just two shares. Its longevity, unique story, and location prompted 281 comments. Read both the post and the comments for more insight into its popularity. |
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| People loved Mike's Smokehouse on the corner of N. Clairemont and Menomonie Street. They also loved Mike McGrouary who opened Mike's Smokhouse in 1978. The post reached more than 87,000 Facebook accounts. |
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| Part II: Top Museum Stories of 2023 |
#10
Vintage skills workshops returned the first since 2019. Participants learned how to spin wool, make vintage baseballs, and build gingerbread houses. Artists featured in the Dimensions and Discovery art exhibit also provided art workshops.
#9 Chippewa Valley Museum and Wisconsin Logging Museum combined telephone and intranet systems and outdoor wifi access extended across the museum campus, all made possible with ARPA (American Rescue Plan Act) funds from Eau Claire County.
#8
Dean Arnold established the CVM Archivist Intern Fund at the Eau Claire Community Foundation to support a paid intern into the future. Additional support enabled archival intern Sara Bautch to develop the interactive, collections-based website L.G. Arnold Inc. Collection StoryMap
#7
The Museum was one of two Wisconsin museums to show The War to End All Wars, a 3D animated film produced by Swedish heavy metal band Sabaton. 100 people attend two showings at CVM, with fans coming from as far as northern Illinois, Minnesota, and eastern Wisconsin.
#6
The Who What When podcast launched in September. Produced by Eau Claire Hometown Media, the bi-weekly podcast dives into stories that make up the tapestry of the Chippewa Valley. Find episodes at cvmuseum.com. Listen to the most recent interview with Dorothy Sorlie about growing up in Eau Claire in the 1940s and '50s.
#5
The Chippewa Valley Museum Press published Reflections of Eau Claire: A Photo History of the City, 1870-1998, researched and written by museum staff Jodi Kiffmeyer and Diana Peterson. Major support for this book came from the Eau Claire Community Foundation.
#4
Volunteer support increased -- number of volunteers jumped 118% (200 in 2022, 436 in 2023) and hours given increased 21%.
#3
US Open Chainsaw Sculpture Championship became Chippewa Valley Museums' summer signature event. 2,100 attended the four-day event, including 12 competition carvers. Plans are underway for a 2024 competition with even more family activities.
#2
Have You Heard? opened in the newly equipped Farmhouse Theater. The two-year, $140,000 project included a gallery exhibit as well as a multi-media production. A closed-caption option and visual description option are still in production.
#1
The merger between Chippewa Valley Museum and Wisconsin Logging Museum became a reality. Everything changed, from by-laws, to daily operations, to the working name of the organization. It was a wonderful year learning how to work and think as Chippewa Valley Museums. |
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Part III: Top 5 Upcoming Programs
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1. Winter Art Exhibit + Artist Reception
Opens January 23, Reception January 30 |  |
Chippewa Valley Museum’s 2024 Winter Art Show will be on display from January 23 through March 23. An opening reception for Venture & Voice will be held at the museum from 6-7:30 pm on Tuesday, January 30. Meet the artists participating in the exhibit and enjoy live jazz music with Jeremy Boettcher and Josh Gallagher from 6:15-7:15 pm. Light refreshments will be on hand, along with a cash bar featuring local wines and beers. This event has no admission fee, courtesy of sponsor Xcel Energy.
Reserve your free tickets by clicking "register" below.
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2. Art Experience with Don Gaber Saturday, February 17, 1-2:30pm |
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Don Gaber hosts a gallery walk and talk about how he uses reclaimed materials for his art work. Participants will create their own 3D pieces following the gallery walk. Reservations required. Limit: 10 participants. Cost: $17/adult, $15 senior, $10 student. $5 discount for museum members. |
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2. Art Experience withBarbara KoppangTuesday, February 27, 6-7:30pm |
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Barbara Koppang will share how she incorporates myths into her art to create pieces that give them the feel of an ancient talisman. Participants will be joining her to personalize a 3D sculpted figure using provided materials.. Reservations required. Limit: 10 participants.
Cost: $17/adult, $15 senior, $10 student. $5 discount for museum members. |
| Register |
| 4. Folk Arts Festival
Saturday, February 24, 12-5pm |  |
TheFolk Arts Festival is coming! This year’s line-up includes special presentations on beekeeping and honeymaking, pyrography (the art of decorating burn marks from a heated object), traditional toboggan building, puppetry, clothing repair, sourdough prep, and nyckelharpa design. And for the first time, the Eau Claire's very own Ukelele Club will be at the festival!
Purchase advance tickets using the button below. COST: $12.00 per Adult/ $10.00 per Senior (62+)/ $5.00 per Student
$5.00 per Youth (5-17)/ Museum Members -- Free with your membership |
| Purchase Tickets |
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5. Art Experience withRaymond KaselauSaturday, March 16, 1-2:30pm |
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Join Raymond Kaselau as he demonstrates his inventive process of constructing architectural-themed pieces. Participants will be creating the first layer of a group sculpture using only water and flour. Kaselau will complete the project at a later time and present it to the community. Capacity: 30 participants
Cost: $17/adult, $15 senior, $10 student. $5 discount for museum members. |
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2023 isn't quite over. You still have two days to see Play Ball before it closes for good. The museum will be open 12-5 pm on December 29 & 30. But for all intents and purposes, see you next year! |
Peace,
Carrie Ronnander
Executive Director, Chippewa Valley Museum
PS -- Old Nort update: community members have contributed $19,000 to the Old Nort humidifier retirement fund! That is absolutely spectacular. We are two-thirds the way to meeting our goal of $31,000. Thank you!
Please consider a year-end or new year donation to help reach the goal. Donate online or mail a check to Chippewa Valley Museums, PO 1204, Eau Claire, WI 54702 |
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PPS -- This is Half Moon Lake on December 26, 2023. That day, I asked my daughter to take a photo of the open water so I could use it in a social media post comparing an 1890s ice skating photo with today. When she arrived at Half Moon Beach she found a swimmer heading into the water. The subsequent social media post is currently the museum's 11th most popular post in 2023.
Like many of you, climate change is on my mind. The recent record-smashing weather has put it front and center. While I can remember winter holidays without snow, I can't remember ever opting to go without a jacket because it was too warm.
Extreme weather temperatures in the Chippewa Valley are not without precedent. The 1930s still hold the record for sustained hot spells and there have been winter days so cold mercury has frozen. There will be cold days yet this winter, and snow, but the daily average temperatures over the last few decades show winters are warmer than they used to be. It's worrisome.
Chippewa Valley Museums' strategic plan calls for the museum to improve its environmental sustainability. This is part of the larger goal to embody sustainable stewardship of resources -- human, financial, physical, and environmental. It's a goal we will have to chip away at a little bit at a time, but chip away we must. Chippewa Valley Museums has to do its part in making the world a better place for future generations.
I hope to never see a swimmer in Half Moon Lake on December 26 ever again unless it's for the Polar Plunge. |
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