What's Up - Your guide to what's happening in Fayetteville, AR this week!
Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/1247637
BECCA MARTIN-BROWN NWA Democrat-Gazette I t's been a long "night at the museum" this spring, Serena Barnett admits. But just like in the movie, there's been plenty going on behind the scenes while the Rogers Historical Museum has been closed due to covid-19 concerns — including the addition of a barn to the galleries and the introduction of a mascot mouse named Gus. Barnett, the museum's director, says she hates to disappoint, but there have been no dinosaurs playing fetch, and Teddy Roosevelt has yet to charge in on his horse. "But we've been taking advantage of the situation even though we are, of course, sad to be closed and sad about the reason we're closed." Over the past two months, museum staff members have been organizing, cleaning, doing maintenance work, painting the kids' gallery, expanding the Monte Ne exhibit and planting apple trees in the orchard at the corner of Third and Cherry streets. "But it's been weird," Barnett says, "because none of our volunteers are coming in. And the staff is spread out across three different buildings, so some days we don't even see each other. Still, we've been working together while we're staying apart, doing a lot of social media, creating some virtual programs on our website and creating a pickup craft kit for kids." The staff also took time to create a virtual gallery of their favorite pieces in the museum collection for this feature. Serena Barnett Director Yellow Poppy Chocolate Pot The history of drinking hot chocolate goes back over a millennium ago, to the ancient Mayans in the Pre-Columbian Americas. Hot chocolate was brought to Europe in the 1500s by Spanish explorers, but it was a drink enjoyed only by those who could afford such an exotic decadence. It wasn't until the late 1800s when trans-Atlantic shipping became faster and less costly that hot chocolate became more affordable and therefore available to the wider public. It was during this time that mass-produced chocolate pots became popular household items. This chocolate pot is one of the Rogers Historical Museum's earliest donated objects, given in 1975 by Vera Key, Rogers Historical Museum co-founder and first chairman of the Museum Commission. It was made sometime between 1900-1915 by Royal Bayreuth, a German porcelain manufacturing company known for its novelty pottery designs in the form of flowers, fruit, vegetables, animals and fanciful figures. This style was part of their poppy collection, which was also available in red, and included tea pots, cups and saucers and sugar bowls. I've always admired this piece for its simple, yet artistic design. For me, this chocolate pot is a reminder of another time when seemingly small tasks, as in the practice of serving hot chocolate, socially dictated the need to own such specialty items that were made for use and show, even for intimate occasions where you were surrounded by family and friends in the comfort of your own home. 8 WHAT'S UP! MAY 17-23, 2020 FAQ Rogers Historical Museum The galleries remain closed due to covid-19 concerns, but museum staff are staying busy on Facebook, Instagram and on the museum website at rogershistoricalmuseum.org. FEATURE Pieces Of The Past Museum staffers pick collection favorites