Season’s greetings from the Museum of the Mississippi Delta. If you need to get in the Christmas spirit or just want a place to bring your friends and family, come on by. Our “Festival of Trees” exhibit is the largest we’ve ever had in our five-year history — 23 and counting. We were delighted to welcome back our friends who have joined us for many years and introduce some new participants, including The Greenwood Commonwealth and Mount Zion Missionary Baptist Church. There are whimsical trees such as a Dr. Seuss tree from the Greenwood-Leflore Public Library to traditional trees from Altrusa International of Greenwood and the Greenwood Garden Club. There are patriotic trees from the DAR and UDC. There are highly-creative trees from TurnRow Books, ArtPlace Mississippi and Greenwood Leflore Recycling to a scientifically decorated tree by Phillip Lawes' students from Mississippi Delta Community College.
Our annual “Story Time with Santa and Mrs. Claus” is scheduled for Thursday from 5-7 p.m. This special program is like no other in Greenwood, because Mrs. Claus is enchanting when reading stories to kids of all ages. This event is our gift to the community with food being provided by our Friends of the Museum volunteers. Pizza, popcorn and Christmas cookies are some of the delights being offered. This event is free and open to the public.
Don’t forget to check out the Museum’s store for your Christmas ornaments, cotton tees and cotton license plates. Our customized book markers are perfect stocking stuffers.
We want to thank all of you who supported the Museum of the Mississippi Delta throughout the year. We were thrilled to be able to offer the “Power of Children: Making a Difference” for your viewing with the assistance from the National Endowment for the Humanities and Mid-America Arts Alliance. The Mississippi Humanities Council was generous with a grant for programming “The Power of Children,” and the Mississippi Arts Commission continues to support us through a general operating grant. The city and county continue to include us in their budgets, without which we literally could not operate. And all of our corporate and private supporters continue to make us strong.
We are currently in the midst of our annual fund drive whereby you can give a year-end tax deductible gift to the museum. Our goal is $3,000, so please go to our website at www.museumofthemississippidelta.com to make an on-line donation or call us at 453-0925.
I would like to leave you all with this quote:
“In the long history of man, countless empires and nations have come and gone. Those which created no lasting works of art are reduced today to short footnotes in history's catalog.
“Art is a nation's most precious heritage. For it is in our works of art that we reveal to ourselves, and to others, the inner vision which guides us as a nation. And where there is no vision, the people perish.”
— President Lyndon Johnson at the signing ceremony of the Arts and Humanities Bill, September 29, 1965.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from our staff and board.
• Cheryl Thornhill is the executive director of the Museum of the Mississippi Delta. Contact her at director@museumofthemississippidelta.com.
