Hello,
For seven years the Hooked Rug Museum of North America Society has been developing a major attraction for Nova Scotia. This dialogue explains the amazing progress we have made as a not for profit organization and what is needed to finish the job!
The Province's first International Museum is now a given!
The physical center, an 8,750 sq.ft concrete block building sits on a 3.7 acre parking lot in Queensland, Nova Scotia. It's not a pipe dream- it's REAL!
Our first major asset is a million dollar plus collection of artifacts and archives donated and or purchased- in hand, and ready for display.
The second is a discovery of an 1892 rug pattern factory (once the largest in the world) in New Glasgow, N.S. and our acquisition of its contents. In its cobwebbed and mouldy basement we found and acquired 550 pieces or original pen and ink ar. We purchased them!
Under a leaking sewage pipe we salvaged and purchased a box of 350 tiny hand cut rug pattern stencils. They may be the oldest in the world!
We finally purchased all the 1892 factory equipment for a significant one-of-a kind gallery in the future Museum.
Our senior citizen supporters organized a Grandmother's Knee program (Service Canada) to replicate 50 pieces of this art in hooked rugs-for Museum display. Each senior citizen trained one newcomer to ensure a continuity of rug hooking artists for future years.
Our widespread United States rug hooking supporters sent or delivered to us materials and financial donations to replicate the hand cut 'MYSTERY PATTERNS for future exhibition. In fact they are so enthused to see their heritage being saved that they are hooking exhibit items as individual donations to the Museum that they (as cherished tourists) will very shortly eventually come to visit. .
The largest United States Guild is raising funds to create a major library and archival research center in the Museum which will bring art researchers for long stay visits in the area. A 3,000 member internet Yahoo Rug Hookers group has been sending us hooked rugs to raise renovation funds. Internet chat lines are filled with talk and enthusiasm for this project------it is the first Museum of Rug Hooking in the world. www.hookedrugmuseum.org
In tough economic times this is a long awaited gift to a continent of rug hooking artists, to south western Nova Scotia service industries and to the Province of Nova Scotia in general. It epitomizes the wise use of our heritage to create both cottage and service industry employment.
This week the Museum has been gifted a MAJOR ATTRACTION- a six foot long replica of Noah's Ark, complete with 120 hand-hooked animals (and Noah). It has attracted sellout crowds in two shows in the United States, and currently one in Georgetown where title is being transferred to your new Museum. What a magnet this attraction will be for travelers as well as locals.
...............and that good friends is only the beginning. ALL OF THIS IS VIRTUALLY DEBT FREE. I
We have just published a 200 pg.combined research and promotional book now being widely distributed in the USA and Ontario It is called Rug Art-RESCUED FROM OBLIVION.
Thanks to the Halifax Regional Municipality we are this month replacing the deteriorated asphalt roofing. Even more impressive we have been invited to apply for further assistance in 2011
The Department of Seniors of Nova Scotia (Hon Denise Peterson-Rafuse) does not have a capital grant program but they have donated $10,000 as an Aging Incentives Grant so we can provide an honorarium to senior aged rug hookers of the region to create hand hooked rugs to be sold as fund raisers in the Museum's MARKET PLACE which will open in the Spring.
We are seeking help from the Government of Canada's ENABLING ACCESSIBILITY FUND to make this entire project accessible to the aged and handicapped who will be amongst its visitors.
Want to hear the Clincher? Our research teams have made more MAJOR discoveries. They have found a unique form of mat/rug making that is rewriting our continent's rug art history. They have found it along the banks and the homes lining the LaHave River, the Annapolis and the Bay of Fundy- they have found it along the banks of the Miramichi and Saint John's rivers in New Brunswick. Subject to conservator evaluation they may have found the oldest hand hooked rugs in North America and the long sought link to the days of the tall ships. It's a dramatic and long awaited trail of patient searching and glorious discovery.
Yes, we are offering this major attraction to our south shore despite enticements to locate elsewhere. It needs only minor financial assistance to complete the task and open its doors to a rapidly increasing world of supporters. We still need $200,000 to finish the job!
We have come within 10 percent of our estimated cost of two million in order to finish this project to door opening status without receiving a penny of capital support from our provincial or federal governments. All the work and expenses to date have been underwritten by rug hookers, one of the lowest wage earners and pensioners in our society. Ultimately it's a gift to each and every Nova Scotian. Now they need your support, your letters and your initiative to close the financial gap so we can announce that this major tourist attraction will open its doors to the public in 2011.
Oh, this Museum will eventually happen independent of help, never fear. However with the CAT ferry gone, with threats of loss of our lighthouse attractions with decreased tourism traffic- we thought you might like to help out. Wise use of our heritage of rug hooking could put dollars in your pocket. The sooner we open the doors, the quicker we can attract the target audience which awaits the starting gun. Tourist businesses have asked when we will open-this is the story.
We have the "goods", we are all volunteers - now what can we do together to make this happen in 2011, sooner rather than later?
The Hooked Rug Museum of North America Society
Attn: Founding Director-Suzanne Conrod
P.O. BOX 556, Chester, N.S. B0J 1J0
Telephone 902-275-5222
dornoc@#eastlink.ca
www.hookedrugmuseum.org
