Living History: June 2003

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Shelburne, Vermont: Patchwork Past

Discover the patterns of your ancestors’ pasts with Art of the Needle: 100 Masterpiece Quilts from the Shelburne Museum. The exhibit, May 17-Oct. 26, showcases Shelburne Museum’s finest 18th-, 19th-and early 20th-century quilts, grouped into 10 diverse design themes: album, Amish, appliqué, chintz appliqué, comparisons, pieced, revival, Victorian (crazy and log cabin), white work and whole cloth. Museum hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily; admission is $17.50 for adults and $8.75 for children ages 6 to 18. For more information, call (802) 985-3346 or visit <www.shelburnemuseum.org>.

Mount Vernon, Virginia: Capturing Colonial Life

Introduce your children or grandchildren to George and Martha Washington this summer through the Hands-on History exhibit at George Washington’s Mount Vernon Estate & Gardens. May 24-Sept. 1, children can learn about early American life by carding and spinning wool, dressing up in Colonial clothing, using 18th-century tools and playing Colonial games. They can also harness Nelly, a life-size fiberglass mule, and crawl into a Revolutionary War tent stocked with soldiers’ gear. The exhibit’s open 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. daily; admission costs $11 for adults and $5 for children ages 5 to 11. Call (703) 780-2000 or visit <www.mountvernon.org> for details.

Toadlena, NM: Weaving History

Visit the Toadlena Trading Post and Weaving Museum through June 15, and explore the Dances with Wool exhibit, a collection of beautiful, earth-toned rextiles created in the Navajo weaving tradition. The exhibit showcases the work of such renowned weavers as the late Hastiin Klah, a Navajo medicine man considered the first to use images from Navajo sand paintings in his textiles. The roots of Navajo weaving stretch back 1,000 years, to the Anasazi, who wove on upright looms. Their descendants, today’s Pueblo Indians, refined the art and eventually taught it to the nomadic Navajos, who have continued the tradition with each generation. To learn more about the exhibit, which is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, call (505) 789-3267 or visit <www.toadlenatradingpost.com>.

Fort Scott, Kansas: Back in the Day

Travel back to the Good Ol’ Days as Fort Scott re-creates an 1890s street fair June 7-8. Set in Fort Scott’s Victorian downtown, this annual celebration features a car and motorcycle show, railroad exhibit, crafts, food, and live entertainment and music on four stages. Youngsters will enjoy the 1899 Children’s Fair, featuring pony and train rides, puppet shows and games. The weekend kicks off with a parade at 6 p.m. June 6. Admission to Good Ol’ Days is $2; children younger than 5 get in free. For more information, call (800) 245-3678 or visit <www.fortscott.com>.

San Rafael, California, Chalk up the Town

Experience a 400-year-old Italian tradition as hundreds or professional and student Madonnari (street artists) re-create the Sistine Chapel ceiling on the streets of downtown San Rafael. June 14-15, Youth in Arts presents the 10th Annual Italian Street Painting Festival, an event modeled after the International Street Painting Festival in Grazie di Curtatone, Italy. Street painting with chalk is a tradition dating from the 16th century, but this is the first time a group of artists will attempt to replicate Michelangelo’s entire masterpiece. Festivalgoers can enjoy Italian food and wine and listen to live music. For $10, children can purchase their own square pavement canvases on Children’s Avenue. For more information, call (415) 457-4878 or visit <www.youthinarts.org>