| The national award-winning Douglas County Museum is operated by volunteers (with a part-time
paid director). The museum features short-term exhibits about a wide range of topics pertinent to the
history of Douglas County and East Central Illinois. Throughout the year, the museum staff also offers a wide
range of special events and programs. Browse our website for more details. Regular museum
hours:
Monday through Wednesday 9 a.m.-4 p.m.
Sunday 1 p.m.-4 p.m. during Everything Animation Exhibit
Other hours: By appointment only.
Phone 217-253-2535 (M-W-Su) or call 217-253-4620 (evenings)
Two-Day Art Exhibit & Enrollment Form
Area artists of all ages are invited to display their works of art in a special two-day art
exhibit that will be held in the Douglas County Museum, 700 S. Main Street in Tuscola on Saturday and Sunday,
June 2 & 3. Artwork of all forms, genres, media and styles suitable for family viewing is being sought for the
exhibit. Loaned items will be displayed on the museum walls and/or inside locked showcases. Items are now
being received at the museum Monday through Wednesday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. or at other times by appointment
by calling 253-2535 (museum) or Lynnita Brown (museum director) at 253-4620 evenings. The museum staff
requests that artists provide written information about the artwork they choose to display, including title
and background information. Artists will be responsible for picking up their work after the exhibit.
In addition to the works of local artists, a highlight of the exhibit will be a display of
nine Salvador Dali lithographs owned by the Douglas County Museum. Kent K. Grummett of rural Arcola donated
the lithographs so that they could be sold to further the preservation efforts of the Douglas County Museum.
The lithographs, most of which are beautifully framed, include:
· Water Hybiscus Swan
· Tiger Lilies of the Theater
· Persistence of Memory
· The Lucky Number of Dali
· Surrender of Breda
· Ladder of Giving
· The Chef
· Savage Beasts of the Desert
· American Trotting Horses No. 1
An accomplished artist and former art teacher, Mr. Grummett also donated his original oil
paintings of rural landscapes and portraits to the museum and those will be on display during the art exhibit
as well. Mr. Grummett died in 2010 at the age of 88.
The exhibit will be open each afternoon on the weekend of June 2 and 3 from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Admission to the exhibit is free. A donation jar will be available for those who wish to contribute to the
museum. An artwork raffle will be held and refreshments will be served. Museum board members will be present
to discuss the lithographs and provide information about the Douglas County Museum in general.
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Enrollment Form
REGISTRATION FORM
DOUGLAS COUNTY MUSEUM
ART EXHIBIT
JUNE 2-3, 2012
Please provide a registration form for each work you submit!
About the Artist:
Name: ___________________________________________________________________
Address: ___________________________________________________________________
(If not a current resident, please list ties to the area: _______________________
___________________________________________________________________
Phone: ___________________________________________________________________
Age (optional): ______________
E-Mail Address: ____________________________________
About the Art:
Title: ___________________________________________________________________
Medium: ___________________________________________________________________
Comments: ___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
If special handling is required for your piece, please be sure to include that in your
comments. If you need an easel for the display and you have one, please bring it along. If you have questions,
please call the Douglas County Museum at 217-253-2535. We look forward to your participation!
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BALLROOM DANCE
The next scheduled ballroom dance/supper buffet in the Douglas County Museum is on Saturday,
May 19, 2012, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Music will be provided by Gene Trimble's Combo. Free popcorn
will be served 6-6:45 p.m., followed by sixteen feet of homemade food, including sandwiches, relishes, fruit,
and a wide assortment of desserts. The supper buffet is included in the $10 per person price for the
dance. No reservations are required. Dress is casual to semi-formal. Call 253-2535 (day
Mon-Wed) or 253-4620 (evenings) for more information.
Mt. Gilead Church Pews for Sale
In 2011 the Douglas County Museum acquired the Mt. Gilead Church with the understanding that
it would be sold and the funds would be used for the good of the Douglas County Museum. The museum
trustees are now offering the church pews for sale. Details are as follows:
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It is believed the pews are oak.
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Some pews have cushions and some do not.
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The pews are 11 feet, 4 inches long.
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The back rest of the pews is 32 inches high.
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Cost of a pew with cushion is $125.00.
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Cost of a pew without cushion is $100.00
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Buyer is responsible for removal of the pew from the church building and transporting
it/them off the property.
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Checks should be payable to: Douglas County Museum, 700 S. Main Street, Tuscola.
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Contact: Dale Brown, Museum Trustee, 217-253-4620 or call the museum Monday through
Wednesday 9 a.m.-4 p.m.
Fall Exhibit Theme Announced
The board of trustees announce that the next exhibit in the Douglas County Museum will be a
music-oriented one. The museum staff will be seeking musical instruments, costumes, photographs, and all
sorts of memorabilia associated with the music industry and how it has impacted Douglas County and East
Central Illinois through the decades. Exhibit dates are August 1 through December 31, 2012.
EVERYTHING ANIMATION! - NOW ENDED
Mickey and Minnie Mouse. Snoopy. The Simpsons. Big Bird and Elmo. Garfield. Animaniacs. Tweety.
Scooby Doo. Raggedy Ann and Andy. These and a multitude of other animated characters are now featured in a new
exhibit in the Douglas County Museum, Tuscola. “Everything Animation” opened to the public on September 11,
2011 and will continue through April of 2012.
Hundreds of spin-off products from animated movies and television shows are on display, all on
loan from the general public throughout the months of the exhibit (September 2011-May 01, 2012). “Museum
member Carol Erb of Sidney suggested the theme for the exhibit,” noted Lynnita Brown, museum director and
exhibit coordinator. “Perhaps we should call this exhibit, Everything Animation #1. Hundreds of thousands of
these types of products have been marketed through the years. We’ve only scratched the surface of what types
of animated-related items exist in private collections throughout East Central Illinois. The showcases in the
museum are full to the brim with some of the cutest, most ingenious ‘artifacts’ that members of the public
have ever temporarily displayed in a Douglas County Museum exhibit. This is a really cute exhibit that old and
young should not miss!”
Animation (a series of drawings that give the illusion of motion) has been in existence since
prior to 1900. Animated short cartoons first became popular in the 1910s, and the remainder of the 20th
century saw traditional animation come to life on the big screen and on televisions in the homes of millions
of Americans. Today’s animated films are mostly computer-generated.
According to Mrs. Brown, there is a strong East Central Illinois connection to some of the
talented men and women who created animated characters familiar to all of us today. “Frank Thomas and Ollie
Johnston, two of the most famous animators employed by Walt Disney, had mothers and grandparents who once
lived in Champaign and Douglas Counties. Rosemary Buehrig, a Tuscola High School graduate, redesigned Snap,
Crackle and Pop in the 1940s.” Two showcases in the museum exhibit are dedicated to these three talented
artists. Thomas and Johnston authored four books and they are on display. The Buehrig showcase features copies
of Rosemary Buehrig’s artwork, as well as a picture of the original three Rice Krispie elves. Buehrig also
illustrated children’s books and some of them are on display.
The “Everything Animation” exhibit in the Douglas County Museum also includes rare items such
as an Ice Mickey loaned by Barbara Chumbley of Arcola; rare character soda bottles depicting Mother Goose,
Peter Pan, Big 4 Beverages, etc., loaned by bottle collector Bruce Wood of Tuscola; a tin Disney Television
Playhouse owned by Bruce Weatherford of Tuscola; and 1960s/70s Marx Mickey, Pinocchio, Goofy, Peter Pan,
Tinker Bell and other Disney figurines collected by Earl Gilmore of Atwood. Mr. Gilmore died in 1997, so his
wife Joan is displaying her late husband’s Marx collection, as well as four large Disney banks, in his memory.
Among the thousands of other items on exhibit are Mickey items owned by Carol Beals of
Tuscola, Mickey artwork owned by Barbara Chumbley of Arcola, M&M artwork by local artist Kevin Burke, sheet
music loaned by Carol Erb of Sidney, Barbies loaned by Judy Martin and granddaughters of Tuscola, porcelain
Little Rascals also owned by Mrs. Martin, rare Disney items loaned by sisters Sherrie Spence Hoel and Janet
Spence Butler of Tuscola, Raggedy Ann and Andy items owned by the museum, Ninja turtles and Shrek items loaned
by David Settle of Bourbonnais, and Stuart Little and ET items loaned by Lynnita Brown of Tuscola.
Youngsters Marissa Poole, age 10, loaned a talking Belle doll and her brother Michael, age 13,
loaned Iron Man items, transformers, and a Pikachu. The Doug, Sheila and Brandon Honn family of Tuscola
brought in dozens of unique M&M characters for the exhibit, including sports M&M’s, a rare M&M calendar,
clocks, vehicles, shower radios, bears and more. Jennifer “Jennie” Shoemaker Jordan of Thomasboro shared her
collection of Garfield, including stuffed animals, dozens of Christmas ornaments, figurines, watches, etc.
There are several large collections in the exhibit. Eighteen-year-old Hayley Maxwell of
Champaign County has collected Scooby Doo for years. Her showcases include Scooby Doo seasonal items, lamps,
games, telephones, dolls, clocks, drinking glasses, prints and more. Ever heard of the “Animaniacs”? Kara
Zeimet of Atwood has an amazing display of Animaniac and Pinky and the Brain figurines, puzzles, stuffed
animals, clothing, valentines, books, etc. Kara also brought in a large collection of Sesame Street items,
including games, lunch boxes, toys, oversized Pez, dishes, etc.
The way to a child’s stomach is through animation, as seen in a display of food-related items
that have been animated for commercials. Among them are Kool-aid, Oscar Mayer, Twinkie, Campbell Kids,
McDonalds, Dairy Queen, Pepsi and Coke, Sugar Smacks, Tony the Tiger, M&Ms, the Jolly Green Giant and many
more.
Jan Baker of Douglas County is exhibiting a huge collection of Snoopys that she has collected
for many years. They include holiday Snoopys in the form of witches, pirates, pilgrims, Santas, campers,
Easter Bunnies, etc. There are rare Belle dogs, Peanuts dishes, cookie jars, drinking glasses, snow globes,
astronauts, Christmas ornaments, pull toys and much more.
Sarah Osborn of Arcola has a huge collection of Looney Tunes items, including rare ceramic
figurines (each at least a foot tall) of Speedy Gonzalez, Scooby, Pepi LePew, Bugs Bunny, Porky Pig, Marvin
the Martian, Tweety, Daffy and many more. Her impressive display includes plates, figurines, books, toys,
telephones, snow globes, framed prints and designed jackets.
Brian Martin of Champaign County is a huge Simpsons fan and has amassed a tremendous
collection of Simpson items that include games, figurines, pins, lunchboxes, jack in the boxes and more—all
Simpsons favorites such as Grampa, Chief Wiggum, Homer, Mr. Bruns, Smithers, Bart, Duffman, Comic Book Guy and
more. Visitors can expect to see all of these—plus Simpson boxer shorts, in the exhibit!
The largest display in “Everything Animation” is courtesy of Disney collector extraordinaire,
Cindy Lou Weatherford Adania of Tuscola. A member of the prestigious Disney Parent Pulse panel, she told the
museum staff, “The collection was building around me without me knowing about it—just from my love of all
things Disney.” A collector of Disney since 1999, she has visited Disney World 15 times and has spent over 100
days in Disney theme parks. Mrs. Adania is the mother of five children. As a member of the Disney Parent Pulse
panel, she joins other dedicated parent advisors who respond to Disney surveys and offer advice on new Disney
products. Cindy is also a member of the Mickey Mom’s Club. Like all members of that club, she is enthusiastic
about discovering and sharing the magic and wonderment of a Walt Disney World vacation. Cindy also writes a
Disney fan blog called, “Without a Care in the World” at
http://dizzneemomma.com.
The massive Adania Disney collection on display in “Everything Animation” includes Disney
Pixar items, Nemo, Toy Story, Snow White, Bugs Life, Pocahontas, Monsters Inc, Little Mermaid, Mickey and
Minnie Mouse, Lady and the Tramp, Winnie the Pooh, record albums, movie posters, cooking utensils, games,
costumes, prints, toys and so much more.
The exhibit is open Monday through Wednesday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. It is also open all other
days and evenings by calling the museum during regular business hours at 217-253-2535 or the museum director
Lynnita Brown evenings at 217-253-4620. The Douglas County Museum is wheelchair accessible and admission is
always free. Visit the museum’s website at www.docomuseum.org.
Jarman Baby Books
Copies of the Jarman Baby Book are still available for purchase!
Order information:
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648 pages, hardbound book, smythe-sewn, with dust cover
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The board of trustees of the Museum Association has reduced the price of the book is $25.
There is an additional $9.00 fee for shipping.
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Make checks payable to: Douglas County Museum, Jarman Baby Book, 700 S. Main Street,
Tuscola, IL 61953.
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The book may be purchased at any of the following locations:
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Douglas County Museum Office, 700 S. Main, Tuscola
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Dick's Pharmacy, Vine Street, Arthur
MUSEUM NEEDS & WISHES LIST
Most of the needs and wishes cost money that the Museum Association does not currently have in
its treasury. Other needs and wishes require hours and hours of volunteer labor. The trustees
invite our website visitors to review the list and see if you can help us to meet any of these needs and
wants. The list is lengthy, but the museum trustees assure you that our needs are wanted and our wants
are needed!
Museum Needs & Wishes List [click on link]
New item added:
Contact information:
Douglas County Museum, 700 S. Main Street, Tuscola, IL 61953
Phone 217-253-2535 Monday-Wednesday. Call the museum director, Lynnita Brown, after hours at
217-253-4620. E-mail: Lynnita. Admission to
the museum is free. Our facility is handicapped-accessible and there is plenty of bus/off-street
parking.
See Calendar of Events for Upcoming Special Events.
Museum Brochures Available
Brochures are now available thanks to generous donations from Dicks Pharmacy in Arthur and Henry and
Shirley Rahn of Tuscola. Call 217-253-2535 or stop by the museum for single or quantity copies.
Find it on the Douglas County Museum's website:
A form to register your veteran in the museum's Veterans Registry is now available on our website.
Read all about it by clicking on the link at left.
Visit Douglas County
Planning a trip to the Douglas County area in East Central Illinois? Learn about our county here:
Visit Douglas County |
