The Mendocino Beacon

A water tower town

- By Marguerite O'Brien

There are only a few more days to see the Doin' a Little Doodlin' exhibit and add your own napkin art to the Kelley House Collection. Next Thursday, the Kelley House Museum will open our summer exhibition: Water Tower Wonderland. The exhibit will explore some of the most iconic structures of the Mendocino skyline, both deconstruc­ted and still standing, and blend history and art throughout.

Come to learn about the necessity and functions of the water towers and windpumps (fun fact: it is technicall­y incorrect to call them windmills since, in Mendocino, they were used to pump water, not to mill anything). Appreciate the architectu­ral beauty of the original structures in historic photograph­s, and see a model of the Kelley House's original, very fancy water tower.

The exhibit focuses on the artistic potential of these magnificen­t structures: they have been providing inspiratio­n to artists of all kinds for generation­s and still do today. On display will be renderings of Mendocino water towers in several media, with serigraphs by Anne Kendall Foote and Bill Zacha, a quilt square by Dee Goodrich, and a woodcut by Emmy Lou Packard. The Kelley House has also been working closely with the Mendocino High School for this exhibit and will show pastels and architectu­ral models made by students.

The exhibit will open on Tuesday, June 8th, and there will be a reception as a part of the Second Saturday on June 10th. The Saturday reception will begin as a member only event from 4:00—5:00 pm when wine and cheese will be served. After 5:00 pm, the reception is open to the public until 7 pm, and we will serve cookies and soda. And water!

The exhibit focuses on the artistic potential of these magnificen­t structures: they have been providing inspiratio­n to artists of all kinds for generation­s and still do today. On display will be renderings of Mendocino water towers in several media, with serigraphs by Anne Kendall Foote and Bill Zacha, a quilt square by Dee Goodrich, and a woodcut by Emmy Lou Packard.

The Kelley House Museum is open from 11:00 AM to 3:00 PM, Thursday through Monday. If you have a question for the curator, reach out to curator@kelleyhous­emuseum.org to make an appointmen­t. Walking tours of the historic district depart from the Kelley House regularly; for a tour schedule, visit www.kelleyhous­emuseum.org.

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