The Scoop On The Gourd

Some of my Facebook friends are probably wondering what the post on Facebook was about the gourd that I painted. I was going to add "with chickens" at the end of the previous sentence... but that just seemed silly... sounded like I painted the gourd using chickens! Hee, hee!

Anyway... one of our local museums is having a fundraiser which involves people decorating gourds for a contest and auction. The museum is the North Platte Valley Museum in Gering, Nebraska. What? You've never been there? Well... I hadn't either until a friend of mine, Katie Bradshaw, was named the executive director and invited Dan the Man and I to a "Business After Hours" party at the museum last month. Wow-wee, were we in for surprise! What a great museum full of many, many interesting exhibits. There was way too much for us to look at so we will be planning a trip, actually it'll probably be several, to see all the neat stuff. I LOVE that kind of stuff and all the stories that go along with the artifacts. I think I should have been a pioneer... I always loved "Little House on the Prairie" and wished many a times that Laura Ingalls Wilder was my friend while I was growing up and I was on the prairie sharing in all her adventures.

So anyway, back to the contest. This is the info I received on the contest.

"The North Platte Valley Museum will be hosting a contest for area artists that will serve as a fundraiser for the Museum. This contest involves creating an original work of art from a birdhouse gourd, which have been donated by Gene Koenig. The gourds will be provided on a first-come, first-served basis. Gourds can be picked up beginning on Tuesday, August 16 at the NPVM. Hours of the Museum are Monday through Friday, 9am-4pm.

Artist can decorate their gourd and return it to the Museum by September 26th, where they will be a display through October 21. The community will be invited to vote on their favorite gourd. Votes cost $1 each, and people can vote on as many as they like, beginning on September 29. The winner will be announced on Sunday, October 23, at the kick off 50th Anniversary Celebration of the North Platte Valley Museum."

So, that is the scoop on the gourd. I decided to join in on the fun and pictures of my gourd are posted below. When I turned my gourd in on Monday I got to see some of the other ones that people had done. There are some really cool ones and if you want to see them you HAVE to go to the Museum and check them out for yourself. I know several of the artists and hope you do take a few minutes to run over and see them and cast your vote.

Remember you can vote as many times as you like! Let's raise some money for the Museum. And don't cop-out on me by saying you can't because you live out of town. What nonsense... I already took care of that. When I was dropping off my gourd with Katie at the Museum, I asked her if people from out of town could vote by sending a check made out the Museum and enclosing a little note saying that they were voting for a specific gourd (like mine!) and she said that would be wonderful. So family and friends from out of town... I am counting on you to send a little donation. Please and thank you!!!

Send your donation and vote to:

North Platte Valley Museum
P.O. Box 435
Gering, NE 69341

Be sure to include a note that you are voting for the gourd fundraiser! And if you want to vote for mine, you'll have to specify that you are voting on Kathi Manville's gourd. Although you could probably say the "Country Chicken Girl's" gourd and they would know it was me!


PS... I know I say this all the time, but if you want to see a larger view of the picture, simply click on it! Hit your browser's back button to return to the blog.

The Gourd BEFORE.

Top of the gourd with a painted vine with berries.

The Museum is located in Gering at 11th & J Street!

You can also "like" the museum on Facebook.
Search for "North Platte Valley Historical Association"




Oh...
and Sammi says...

The END.