Story by Melina Ludwig
CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. – The Customs House Museum & Cultural Center is pleased to announce that it has been awarded the Arts Engagement in American Communities grant from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA). The invitation-only grant in the amount of $10,000 aims to help increase understanding and skills in the arts for all ages.
With these funds, the Customs House Museum will develop outreach programming for The Wonderful Wizard of Oz exhibition, a travelling exhibit coming to the Crouch Gallery of the museum this April. The Customs House Museum is the only museum in Tennessee and the immediate region to present this award-winning exhibit from the Great Explorations Children’s Museum in St. Petersburg, Florida.
Community engagement activities will strengthen the appreciation and understanding of the themes of the exhibit, including art, literature, and history. This schedule of events has been dubbed the Art & Oz Series. One of several events in the series includes a workshop with children’s book illustrator Allison Lyne on Sunday, June 22nd from 2:00 to 3:00 p.m., where she will discuss illustration techniques and processes. Visitors to The Wonderful Wizard of Oz will learn through play with brain teaser games, role playing, dress-up, and other educational activities incorporated throughout.
Director Alan Robison says of the award: “I am most grateful to the assistance of the NEA in assisting us in getting the word out to the far reaches of our community. Providing inspiring and educational experiences for the citizens of our community is a critical function of the museum. Engaging people who have never crossed our threshold before is a tremendous opportunity for us to positively impact the lives of our guests.”
This exhibit involves 11 sections, or “chapters,” each addressing a different element of the story, such as Dorothy’s House, Emerald City, and Glinda’s Castle. Opportunities to sponsor these nodes as a Chapter Sponsor are still available. For more information on sponsorship, contact Director Alan Robison at 931-648-5780.
Located at the corner of Second and Commerce Streets, the Customs House Museum is the second largest general museum in Tennessee. Regular museum hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, and 1 to 5 p.m. on Sundays. Adult admission is $7, Sr. Citizens and College ID $5, Ages 6 to 18 $3, and under six and Museum Members are free.