Carnegie Museum to host music, storytelling for May 14 "Stories from the Woods" exhibit opening

HOUGHTON -- The Carnegie Museum will host an opening celebration of stories and music for its new exhibit, "Stories from the Woods," at 6:30 p.m. on Friday, May 14.

"At 6:30, all are invited to gather in the lower level of the museum for a program of traditional music and stories from and about the Keweenaw, presented by members of the Thimbleberry Band," writes musician and storyteller Oren Tikkanen. "Libby Meyer will be on hand with her dazzling Irish fiddle. Dave Bezotte will melt your heart with his French lyrics and mellow baritone. Coleman Segal will show off his mandolin chops while simultaneously exuding ineffable "Keweenaw Kewl."

Thimbleberry will offer tales and music from Keweenaw settlers of various ethnic groups -- including Italians, Irish, Slovenians, French-Canadians, Finns and more.

The exhibit -- a multi media exploration of the storytelling traditions of the Upper Peninsula -- looks at the story traditions of the Anishinaabeg people, European immigrant groups, lumberjack and maritime song traditions and contemporary storytellers. Several panels focus on the work of folklorists such as Henry Rowe Schoolcraft, Jane Johnston Schoolcraft, Frances Densmore, Alan Lomax, Richard Dorson, Oren Tikkanen and many others. Nineteen interpretive panels are accompanied by five audio stations featuring recordings of stories and songs collected in the U.P., and silent film footage, taken by Alan Lomax in the 1930s, of U.P. musicians, dancers and folk healers.

The exhibit was put together by Dan Truckey from the Beaumier Heritage Center at Northern Michigan University. It will be on display at the Carnegie Museum through June 29.

The Carnegie Museum is in the former Portage Lake District Library building at 105 Huron street. Museum hours are Tuesday, noon to 7 p.m.; Thursday, noon to 5 p.m.; Saturday, noon to 4 p.m.

Admission is free. Parking is available in the lot behind the building, or in the City lot across Montezuma Street.

For more information please call 482-7140, or email history@cityofhoughton.com.