Guelph, ON, May 17, 2013 – Guelph Civic Museum offers a ride on the wild side on Friday, May 24^th from 6:30 to 9 p.m. as part of Fourth Fridays  in downtown Guelph.   Drop in to explore the popular exhibit kNOw Skateboarding: 60 Years of Skateboarding and Skateboard Culture. Enjoy demonstrations by Ward Skatepark’s Demo Team on a mobile skateboard park in the museum’s parking lot.  At 7:00 p.m. take in a talk about the evolution of skateboarding by author, publisher, activist and skateboarder Michael Brooke. Linger a while to enjoy some live music by local musicians.

“With the kNOw Skateboarding exhibition ending soon, this evening offers a great opportunity to celebrate the fascinating aspects of Guelph’s skateboarding culture.”  Says Val Harrison, Guelph Museums Coordinator of Public Programs.

kNOw Skateboarding ends Sunday, June 2. Guelph Civic Museum’s Fourth Friday hours are 5-9 pm.  Admission is free. Guelph Civic Museum is located at 52 Norfolk St.  For more information, call 519-836-1221 or visit guelph.ca/museum

Monday, May 20, 2013

Both the Guelph Civic Museum and McCrae House will be closed.

Regular hours resume on Tuesday, May 21, 2013.

Guelph, ON, May 3, 2013:  A rare 1868 colour map of Guelph just returned home to the Guelph Civic Museum after extensive conservation.

The map, which had suffered severe deterioration, was discovered and donated to the museum in 2008. An application was made to and accepted by the Canadian Conservation Institute (CCI) in Ottawa to have the map conserved free of charge as part of the CCI’s commitment to preserving Canadian Heritage.

About the Map:

The map is an 1868 Map of the Town of Guelph produced by James Hobson. This map is very rare and may be a one of a kind as it has not been documented in any historic references and is not located in any other regional or provincial archives. This map is also rare because it is hand coloured with watercolours. This map is significant as there are not many maps of Guelph from the 1860s and not many that are this detailed – as it shows every lot in the town at the time. Guelph was growing significantly in the 1860s with several large industries being founded, a growing population, and many large scale building projects. This map will be invaluable to researchers, demonstrating how Guelph was growing and expanding.

The Guelph Civic Museum is very grateful to the CCI for the work they did to conserve the map. The map took over two years to conserve and a total of 275 hours was dedicated to this project. The map is now stored in temperature controlled archives storage at the Museum.

As a wrap up to May is Museum Month, the map will be available for viewing at the museum Tuesday, May 28 from 2:00 to 4:00 pm with the Assistant Curator Kathleen Wall on hand to answer questions.

For more information about the map or any of the museum’s holdings, please contact Kathleen Wall at Kathleen.wall@guelph.ca or (519) 836-1221 ext. 2776

 Guelph Civic Museum is located at 52 Norfolk Street. Open daily 1:00-5:00 pm. 

About the CCI:

The Canadian Conservation Institute (CCI) is a Special Operating Agency of the Department of Canadian Heritage. The Institute was created in 1972 to promote the proper care and preservation of Canada’s cultural heritage and to advance the practice, science, and technology of conservation.

Through conservation science, treatment, and preventive conservation, the Canadian Conservation Institute supports heritage institutions and professionals in conserving Canada’s heritage collections so they can be accessed by current and future generations.

This mission is accomplished through conservation research and development, expert services, and knowledge dissemination – through CCI’s publications, library, and professional development.

 “It is going to be busy day and what a great start to spring and summer activities at McCrae House!” says Val Harrison, Coordinator of Public Programs. 

 From 8:30 am to 1 pm, the annual Poppy Push Plant Sale will feature varieties of poppies for sale as well as perennials from the historic gardens.  At 11:00 am visitors are invited to attend the opening of the new exhibition, Dear John: The Women in John McCrae’s Life. At 2:00 p.m. Susan Raby-Dunne author of Bonfire, The Chestnut Gentleman will present a talk and sign books.  

 Admission to McCrae House is by donation during the Poppy Push. McCrae House is located at 108 Water Street. For more information please call 836-1221 or visit guelph.ca/museum.

Avro Arrow in flight.

 Decades have passed since the development and destruction of the Avro Arrow and Iroquois engine yet the Canadian public is still haunted by the “ultimate might-have-been.” This one-of-a-kind exhibition features actual artifacts from the Avro Arrow and Iroquois Engine project. The Arrow and Iroquois Engine projects represent a significant accomplishment and chapter in Canadian history. The exhibit investigates the beginnings of the Arrow and follows its testing and development, and ultimate cancellation. Museum visitors can decide for themselves why the Arrow was cancelled and if that decision was justified.

“The Avro Arrow:  A Dream Denied” a travelling exhibit from the West Parry Sound District Museum, runs at Guelph Civic Museum until July 28. Museum hours are extended from 5 to 9 pm on April 26. Admission is free for this Fourth Fridays event.

 Guelph Civic Museum is located at 52 Norfolk St.  For more information, call 519-836-1221 or visit guelph.ca/museum

GUELPH, ON March 25, 2013: To commemorate the Battle of Vimy Ridge, Gabriele Wills, celebrated author of the Muskoka Novels, will speak at McCrae House April 9 at 2 pm. , Using the First World War as a backdrop for her fictional novels, Wills, an avid historian, has created an unforgettable journey capturing one of the most tumultuous times in modern history through the lives of her engaging and memorable characters. Using 100 vintage and other photographs, Wills will discuss how she turns fact into fiction that enlightens as well as entertains.

The Battle of Vimy Ridge was the first time during the Great War that all four Canadian Divisions assembled to fight as one corps. The Canadian objective during the Vimy Ridge Battle was to take control of the German-held northern escarpment. After four days of battle, the Canadian Corps achieved their objective but suffered over 10,000 causalities.

Admission is free for this lecture. McCrae House is located at 108 Water Street. For more information please call 519. 836.1221 or visit guelph.ca/museum

 For more information about Gabriele Wills please visit her website at  http://www.mindshadows.com/publishing/index.html

 Ed Video will project videos made for the 60 Seconds of Beauty project, a collection of community-produced videos reflecting on the definition of beauty.  Created by people with varying skill levels in video production, these non-narrative shorts provide a wide scope of the many types of beauty captured in the lenses of the beholders: love, nature, music, and even floating garbage.

 At the same time, Art Con Ex, an exhibition of works created by participants of Art Con GUELPH, will be on display.  Art Con GUELPH is a convention for young makers and doers, primarily 21 years old and younger, which includes workshops, a live model sketching event, tag walls and open media worksites.  The work created during the conference will be exhibited at the Museum from March 19 to 22, and will be celebrated at an open house during Fourth Fridays.

 Guelph Civic Museum is located at 52 Norfolk Street, Guelph.  For Fourth Fridays, Museum hours are extended from 5:00 to 9:00 p.m. and admission is free. 

 Contact:
Val Harrison|Coordinator of Public Programs, Guelph Museums
T 519-836-1221   E 2773
val.harrison@guelph.ca
guelph.ca/museum

Monday March 11 –Games We Play. Experience board games, classic toys, puzzles and a few new surprises. At 11:00 am and 2:00 pm we’ll be playing a couple rounds of the ultimate classic game- BINGO! Get your markers and lucky hat and hopefully win a prize.

Tuesday March 12 –Playing with pARTS and Pieces. Construct, craft and perform all day. At 11:00 am and 2:00 pm special guest Scott McGovern will give a juggling demonstration and workshop. Come early so you have time to make your own personal juggling balls before you get ready for the stage. 

Wednesday March 13 — Roll Playing is inspired by the current exhibit kNOw Skateboarding : Years of Skateboarding and Skateboard Culture.  Explore games that involve rolling, sliding, ramps and some patience. Have fun with a rock and rings curling game and help construct an indoor mini-putt course. Design your own skateboard graphic at 11 am and design a fingerboard skate park at 2 pm with Matthew Hepburn.

Thursday March 14 — Green Play Day. Put on your green and hunt for the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. At 11:00 am there is super secret meeting so that everyone can do a super secret spontaneous spectacle at 11:30 am all over the museum. At 2:00 pm enjoy the Celtic Academy Canada’s dance demonstration and open workshop.

Friday March 15 — Playing with our Imagination. Using cardboard, newsprint and bits and bobs, collaborate and create a fantastical new world. Building starts at 10:00 am and ends at 4:30 pm.  Also, we are joined by special guest artist Lisa Du Fresne at 11:00 am and 2:00 pm to create Birds of Paradise with recyclables.

Regular admission applies. Please note that all children under the age of 12 must be accompanied by an adult.  Guelph Civic Museum is located at 52 Norfolk St.  For more information, call 519-836-1221 or visit guelph.ca/museum

 “Jonathan’s talk will prove to be both informative and entertaining,” says Bev Dietrich, Curator of Guelph Museums. “It will be a rare opportunity to uncover great underwear facts from a well-respected expert of fashion history.”

 Museum hours are extended from 5:00 to 9:00 pm February 22. Admission is free for this Fourth Fridays event.

 Guelph Civic Museum is located at 52 Norfolk St.  For more information, call 519-836-1221 or visit guelph.ca/museum

 The afternoon, from 1 to 5 pm, will be filled with activities the entire family will enjoy, including ice cube building blocks, snowman target practice, photo booth family pictures, music, historic presentations, family crafts and refreshments. Highlighting the event will be “battle-of-the-chainsaws” ice carving demonstrations starting at 2 pm, with the final battle at 3:30 pm.

 The museum has been able to build on the success of this popular family event through the sponsorship support of RBC Royal Bank aimed at advancing cultural initiatives within the community. “RBC is thrilled with the opportunity to support programs that bring families, friends and neighbours together in celebration of Family Heritage Day,” says Laurie Davidson, Regional Vice President, Guelph North Halton, RBC Royal Bank.

 Admission to this event is free. Guelph Civic Museum is located at 52 Norfolk St.  For more information, call 519-836-1221 or visit guelph.ca/museum