Lakeview Museum:
SPIRIT OF THE HARVEST – STRAW ART IN ILLINOIS
IAWW has had such a wonderful experience in the summer of 2010. A year and a half ago we got an email from the Lakeview Museum asking us if we would be interested in putting together a wheat display at the museum. What an honor and such an unexpected opportunity. After talking with our group and meeting with the museum representatives we decided to do it.
We visited the museum to see what it was like. Lakeview museum was a wonderful little museum. It is now a part of the new Peoria Riverfront Museum, located on SW Washington St. in Peoria. It has a gift shop and library, a book shop, planetarium, a discovery area, classrooms, and gallery areas- some are permanent, some are changeable within the museum system and some are changeable displays showcasing current interests. They have a host of programs for the community. It was just the right fit for us. The displays are clean and clearly marked but not over whelming.
During the year we talked over plans for what we wanted to share. We have so much to share about wheat weaving! In May we assembled our ideas and wheat items and took them to the museum. They have a person in charge of putting together the displays. He repainted, and selected items that would give the best showing and would represent everyone in our group. The museum personnel took our ideas and created explanation cards to describe the items selected and tid bits of wheat information. Together they created a beautiful wheat display showing marquetry, plaiting, Swiss work, antique hats and baskets, international straw work, quilling, dolls, and mobiles. They even had a large Harvest Maiden that several members put together in field while harvesting wheat from an Illinois farm several years ago. They talked about the items and told some of the history of wheat weaving and some about the techniques of straw work. They really packed a lot into a small area.
We put together plans for three wonderful wheat weaving classes. The first class was in May. They learned the Arrow Plait and were able to make several favors using this plait. During the June class they learned to make a doll and to dress it using several different plaits. The third class in August was a Harvest Favor. We incorporated several kinds of wheat and oats and several different plaits. The class members were all pleased with what they learned and took home wonderful projects.
We also gave wheat weaving demonstrations each month, and on class days.
IAWW is proud of the beginning project book we produced called “Wheat Weaving Plaits and Projects Made Simple”. We were able to offer it for sale in the museum gift shop. Several of the members also had wheat items for sale in the shop.
We are so proud of this opportunity to display our Wheat Weaving in the Lakeview Museum and to share with the public our enthusiasm and interest in Wheat Weaving and Straw art.
The Illinois Association of Wheat Weavers’ “Spirit of the Harvest; Straw Art in Illinois” was on display at the Peoria Lakeview Museum May 21 through September 19, 2010.