The sun shone brightly on the happy group of people who milled about the front and side yards of the Pentwater Historical Museum, 85 S. Rutledge St., Sunday afternoon, June 29. The occasion for all the smiles was the dedication of “The Lamplighter” sculpture, which is now a permanent fixture at the museum, thanks to a generous gift from David and Carol Messerlie. The dedication provided an opportunity for Pentwater residents to meet the artists, Tyler and Ashley Voorhees, who drove to Pentwater from their home near Saugatuck to participate in the ribbon-cutting ceremony.
Beth Russell, a board member of the Pentwater Historical Society, welcomed those assembled and introduced several people: Pentwater Arts Council President Judy Pazol, Pentwater Arts Council Board Member Deb Zare (who suggested locating the sculpture at the museum), the Messerlies and the Voorhees. Russell spoke briefly about the sculpture and informed the audience that it is lit up in the evening. “It casts a light on our past and shines a light on our future,” she remarked. Scissors were distributed to facilitate the ribbon cutting by the Messerlies and the artist couple.
The artists were friendly and spoke easily with everyone who approached them. Tyler described the challenge of assembling the sculpture piece by piece and joked, “We worked hard on it for eight full months, along with marriage counseling.” Admiring the charm of the village, they would like to return later this summer with their sons. They also expressed interest in visiting the Artisan Center.
Following the ribbon cutting, guests were invited to enjoy light refreshments and to step inside the museum to view the new exhibit, “Journeys to Pentwater.” The exhibit is a collection of stories about families who visited Pentwater and then stayed in Pentwater for generations. The first installation of the exhibit includes the stories of eight families, three from the 1800s, three from the 1900s and two from the 2000s. The stories are based on oral interviews with family members and descendants of the families. The interviews were incorporated into narratives, which were then read and recorded and integrated into a video format with family photos and historical photographs of the time period. Subtitles were added for viewers with audio challenges. The exhibit lends itself easily to expansion.
Museum visitors are most welcome. Admission is free. Summer hours through August, are Tuesday through Saturday from 1-4 p.m.
