Fingerweaving, wildcrafting, and 1830s cooking and crafting offered through new Mackinac Art Museum

Historic domestic art classes are now offered through the new Richard and Jane Manoogian Mackinac Art Museum at the Indian Dormitory on Mackinac Island, bringing hands-on visitor experiences to yet another level. Fingerweaving classes are offered at the art museum at 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m., Saturday, May 28. An 1830s cooking and crafts instruction will be held at the Biddle House on Mackinac Island at 10:00 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. Saturday, June 4. A wildcrafting tour will be offered at 9:30 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, May 28 and Saturday, June 4. All events require pre-registration, and spots are limited. Call Katie Cederholm, Mackinac State Historic Parks curator of education, at (906) 847-3328 to reserve. Participants will explore the art of fingerweaving at this special class within the art museum. Taught by experienced craftswoman and historic interpreter, LeeAnn Ewer, the class, which lasts approximately two hours, will offer individualized attention, as it's limited to six participants. Written background information on the craft, as well as other relevant reading materials, are included in the hands-on course. Yarn and figerweaving tools will also be provided for use. ''The participants will make garters,'' Ewer said, ''which historically served as arm bands to hold up sleeves and as sock bands to hold up socks. They also have many modern days uses, such as purse straps.'' Wool yarn will be provided at the class, although, as noted by Ewer, synthetic yarn will also be available for those will wool allergies. The cost for the class is $20 per person. Participants of the cooking and crafts class at the Biddle House, located on Market Street, will experience domestic life of the 1830s. Opportunities will be available for quilting, cooking, candle making, and other crafts. Educators will not only offer the experiences, but explain why and how the Biddle family, who lived in the house in the 1830s, quilted and used herbs in cooking and medicine. Participants will also learn the techniques of open hearth cooking by making bread, tea, and other food common to the time period. ''It's a special after-hours program that most visitors in the fall don't get to see because the Biddle House is closed at that point. The hands-on aspect makes it unique, and guests also get to take something home, such as a candle,'' says Cederholm. The opportunity, which is limited to eight people for greater one-on-one instruction and hands-on participation, lasts 2 hours, and is available for $25 per person. Participants of the wild-crafting tour will meet at the Mackinac Art Museum and tour around Mackinac Island to learn history, lore, and traditional uses of native plants with Historic Interpreter, Amy Pavlov. Those on the tour will need to be able to walk on trails and roads on Mackinac Island. They will also be given notebooks to record their findings and keep recipes and instructions on what to do with the plants they can take home and use in nature walks near them. ''There are many uses for different plants on the island; some medicial, some culinary, and some functional. It's fun to see what you can use in your backyard for salves, teas, and herbs,'' says Pavlov. The opportunity, which is limited to fifteen people, lasts 2.5 hours, and is available for $20 per person. Mackinac State Historic Parks, a family of living history museums and parks in northern Michigan's Straits of Mackinac, is an agency within the Michigan Department of Natural Resources and Environment. Its sites?which are accredited by the American Association of Museums?include Fort Mackinac, Mackinac Island State Park, Historic Downtown, and The Richard & Jane Manoogian Mackinac Art Museum on Mackinac Island, and Colonial Michilimackinac, Old Mackinac Point Lighthouse and Historic Mill Creek Discovery Park in Mackinaw City. Mackinac State Historic Parks is governed by the Mackinac Island State Park Commission, established in 1895 to protect, preserve and present the parks' rich historic and natural resources for the education and recreation of future generations. Visitor information is available at 231-436-4100 or on the web at www.MackinacParks. com. Copyright © 2011 State of Michigan Published: Mon, May 30, 2011