South County Museum Gazette

Another great season is under way

June 2025 Newsletter

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Greetings from the Museum. Our 2025 season is off and running! We are open to visitors Thursday through Saturday 10am - 4pm throughout the summer season. Please check our events page for Wednesday evening special lectures and happenings.

Come and see what is new! Exhibitions for early summer feature traditional South County baskets, the hand fan in fashion, and the technology of days gone by.

Our technology exhibition showcases typewriters, telephones, radios and cameras. The vast array of these old devices is amazing when you consider we now listen to music, talk on the phone, and take photographs with a single device that we often carry in our pockets.

Come explore our Technology of Other Days exhibition. Open all summer long.

There is more to come exhibition wise! Our August

newsletter will feature the details of a special pop-up exhibition for the fall season. Something Wicked this Way Comes......

(Detail of yarn and heddles on a loom.) We are very grateful for a recent donation of two beautiful looms. In addition to new exhibitions we are welcoming many new artisans to our studio barns. Drop by the museum's fiber shed to see weaving demonstrations on Friday mornings and other times by chance.

In other news, June is action packed with events. To kick off, our curator will be on the road for the start of our Gilded Age Fashion Lecture Series at the beautiful Ocean House in Watch Hill. Rebecca will be lecturing there the first Tuesday of every month through October. June's lecture is titled Changing Silhouettes of Fashion: Corset, Crinolines, Bustles - Oh My! Lectures begin at 3:30 in the hotel's Seaside Ballroom. Refreshments included with ticket price. Click here for reservations. https://oceanhouseevents.com/events/event/south-county-museum-june-3-2025

A satirical cartoon poking fun at the outrageous size of the hoop skirt that was the height of fashion in the mid 1850s. Just how did they create this astonishing silhouettes? Join us at the Ocean House to find out.

Also in June, we are excited to welcome historians from the State Archive. As we prepare for America's 250 we are researching for future exhibitions that will feature South County's 18th century history. Drop by to chat with us and the archivists. See details below.

On the evening of June 11th, don't miss out on this very special talk and demonstration. Come see local artist Allen Hazard as he discusses and makes art and jewelry from wampum.

Anyone who would like to attend please RSVP to info@southcountymuseum.org (Your RSVPs let us know how many chairs to set up ). This is a free event for members. Nonmembers $10 at the door.

Also not to miss: Tickets are on sale for our wine tasting and fashion lecture. Join our Curator Rebecca and guest sommelier Elisa Wybraniec for an elegant evening. This event will be held in our main exhibition hall.

June also brings a bevy of events for textile enthusiasts. Applications are available to participate in our 39th Annual Quilt Show. Folllow the link for further details about submitting. https://www.southcountymuseum.org/events

We would love to include your quilt or wearable quilted clothing pieces in our show!

The Museum is also thrilled to announce that we will be hosting a collaborative embroidery project for the month of June. America's Tapestry is being made in celebration of America's 250th Anniversary coming up in 2026. Each state that was one of the original thirteen colonies is stitching a panel depicting scenes from the Revolutionary War era. More details about the project are discussed here. https://www.americastapestry.com/

So, we are Calling all Embroiderers! More details about how, when, and where to participate in America's Tapestry project will be posted shortly on The Museum's webpage. This will be a long term-project. The panel will travel the state for the next 11 months, circling back to the museum at various stages, and eventually heading off next spring to join the other completed panels for an exhibition in Virginia. E-mail Rebecca@southcountymuseum.org  if you are interested in helping with this project.

Detail of the RI panel depicting: The Battle of Rhode Island, a landmark event marked by the collaboration of American and French forces.

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Support South County Museum!

Consider volunteering. We are particularly looking for help in our woodworking studio and with our dye garden at this time. But volunteers in all areas are welcome and needed.

Please e-mail Rebecca@southcountymuseum.org for information about becoming a volunteer.

Join the Museum ! Becoming a member of South County Museum is more than just a way to support the Museum—it’s a way to explore local history and traditional craft. As a member, you’ll enjoy benefits like free admission, early access to workshop registration and special members-only events. Your support helps us preserve the history of South County and the traditional skills of printing, blacksmithing, woodworking, spinning, weaving and natural dyeing, ensuring they are passed down to future generations. Join our community of history lovers and artisans today, and help keep these time-honored traditions alive!

 Please contact Lynn@southcountymuseum.org if your business would like to sponsor a 2025 season event.