Greenbelt Museum

Visitors enjoy the opening day of the Green from the Start exhibition, August 1, 2010.

The Museum’s latest exhibition, Green from the Start: A History of Gardening in Greenbelt opened Sunday, August  1.  A reception was held from 1:30pm to 3pm and we estimate that over 100 people attended! Visitors to the exhibit can see artifacts from Greenbelt’s early history in the late 1930s, learn about Victory Gardens and canning, and reminisce about the 50s, 60s, and 70s.  A final section in the exhibition explores the community’s renewed interest in gardening, canning, and all things “green.” Kids are invited to “make” their own salads with vegetable rubber stamps.

Some of the artifacts on display in the Green from the Start exhibition.

The exhibition will be on view in the Recreation Department’s Community Center gallery until early November 2010. In mid November 2010, the exhibition will move to the Greenbelt Museum’s gallery space across from the front desk in the Community Center and will remain on view until early 2012.  The exhibition is sponsored by Prince George’s County Council member for the 4th District Ingrid Turner, the Greenbelt Community Foundation, the Friends of the Greenbelt Museum and the City of Greenbelt.   For more information, email the Museum Director at greenbeltmuseum@gmail.com or give us a call at 301-507-6582.  Normal hours for the exhibition are Monday-Saturday from 9:00am to 10:00pm and on Sundays from 9:00am-7:00pm.

Finally!  The Museum’s next exhibition, Green from the Start: A History of Gardening in Greenbelt is scheduled to open Sunday, August 1. Join us for a reception from 1:30pm to 3pm and experience this fun and colorful exhibition that explores how Greenbelt has been “green” from the start. See artifacts from Greenbelt’s early history in the late 1930s, learn about Victory Gardens and canning, and reminisce about the 50s, 60s, and 70s. A final section in the exhibition explores the community’s renewed interest in gardening, canning, and all things “green.” For more information, email the Museum Director at greenbeltmuseum@gmail.com or give us a call at 301-507-6582.  Normal hours for the exhibition are Monday-Saturday from 9:00am to 10:00pm and on Sundays from 9:00am-7:00pm.

Rare color photograph of canned goods from the Farm Security Administration, Office of War Information color photograph collection. Library of Congress. 1941-1945

In conjunction with the Museum’s upcoming exhibition, Green from the Start: A History of Gardening in Greenbelt (click on Exhibits above for more information about the exhibition), the Museum’s lecture series will focus on topics related to both gardening and food preparation. On July 20, we welcome Nicolas Tardif, a Maryland Master Gardener from Prince George’s County, who will discuss both the history of canning and other food preservation and how to do home canning.

Lectures take place at the Greenbelt Community Center, 15 Crescent Road, Greenbelt MD 20770. They are free and open to the public. Sponsored by the Friends of the Greenbelt Museum.

Demonstration Victory Garden at 10B Crescent Road. Spring 2010.

Come by the Museum’s historic house at 10B Crescent Road on Sundays from 1-5pm to visit the Museum’s demonstration Victory Garden and pick up a new walking tour guide entitled: A Walk through History: Greenbelt’s Victory Gardens and Farmers Market. The small guide was produced by the Greenbelt’s Farmers Market and was made possible by a Maryland Heritage Area grant. Don’t forget to ask at the house, also,  for more information about gardening and canning in the 1940s. 

Kerr Home Canning book, 1943

The Museum’s demonstration Victory Garden was begun in the spring of 2010 and is one component of the Museum’s upcoming exhibition, Green from the Start: A History of Gardening in Greenbelt, scheduled to open in the Greenbelt Community Center on August 1.  For more information on the exhibition, click on Exhibitions above.

Victory Garden poster. Library of Congress

Also in conjunction with the upcoming exhibition, the next  event in the Museum’s lecture series will focus on canning. The talk is scheduled for Tuesday, July 20 at 7:30pm in the Greenbelt Community Center, 15 Crescent Road, Greenbelt, MD 20770.  Check this website for more information closer to the date. We hope to see you there!

Find chairs like this at the ADSW Expo!

The Greenbelt Museum was proud to help promote the Art Deco Society’s 2010 Exposition of 20th Century Decorative Arts.   The Art Deco Society of Washington is a nonprofit organization devoted to preservation of the architectural, industrial, decorative, and cultural arts of Art Deco era.  The Expo is the primary source of funding to support ADSW’s preservation and education efforts and offers an excellent opportunity for those interested in 20th century design to buy high quality vintage furnishings, housewares, art, clothing,  jewelry, and much more. 

Help to support both the Greenbelt Museum and ADSW by purchasing advance tickets to the Expo online at www.adsw.org. When checking out, simply enter GM (Greenbelt Museum) in the company field of the billing address and the Greenbelt Museum will receive a portion of the ticket price. The Greenbelt Museum will only receive a portion of the ticket price from online sales, not from day-of sales, so please reserve your spot in advance!  Thank you.

The Expo began in 1983 primarily as an Art Deco show, making it the nations’ oldest Modernism Show. Held annually at locations in Washington, DC and its Northern Virginia suburbs, the Expo gradually expanded to include other design movements of the 20^th century.  The 2010 show will include the sale of all 20^th Century design movements, including Art Nouveau, Arts & Crafts, Art Deco, Art Moderne, Mid Century Modern, Scandinavian Modern, and Atomic.

Kojo In Your Community was in Greenbelt,  Tuesday April 20, Greenbelt Community Center, 15 Crescent Road, Greenbelt, Maryland.  Doors opened at 6:15pm. The Kojo Nnamdi show was taped before a live audience here in Greenbelt, Maryland. A lively discussion about issues facing Greenbelters as well as Prince George’s County took place. Greenbelt Museum Director, Megan Searing Young, served as one of the panelists.
For more information visit http://thekojonnamdishow.org/