Minifig Magness

Tuesday, September 20th: A new Changing Collections Cabinet Exhibit in Michael's Museum called: "Mini-Fig Madness" consisting of a multitude of Lego Minifigures (some purchased and some created) covering the categories of: Halloween, Important People, Multi-Cultural, and Monochromatic.

and many more!

Exciting Stuff at CCM

So many exciting things happening at CCM:

Friday, September 16: Create the ultimate indoor, physical adventure in Move! Chicago Children’s Museum’s exhibit that will get your heart—and imagination—racing is back again. Sponsored by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois, this experience is sure to challenge your mind and body!

Tuesday, September 20: A New Skid Steer Loader in the Skyline Exhibit on Tuesday September 20th. Case Construction Equipment has generously donated a REAL Skid Steer Loader to CCM. Kids can climb inside the cab, sit in the driver’s seat and imagine what it would be like to be the skid steer operator on a real job site—yippee! 

Tuesday, September 20: A new Changing Collections Cabinet Exhibit called: "Mini-Fig Madness" consisting of a multitude of Lego Minifigures (some purchased and some created) covering the categories of: Halloween, Important People, Multi-Cultural, and Monochromatic.

Tidy, More Tidy, Most Tidy

Every now and then a web post comes across my e-mail that amuses me and is close to the heart of Michael's Museum. This one made me laugh a lot!

Here is such a post:
CLICK HERE for Tidy, More Tidy, Most Tidy

Fan Club Presidents Announced

Michael's Museum is pleased to announce that Patricia Anderson, of Wilmette has taken on the role World Wide, International, and United States Fan Club President. Her duties and responsibilities include those which she chooses to accept (and/or create.) Congratulations Pat!

Michael's Museum is pleased to announce that John Dunn, of Decatur and formerly a member of the Illinois House of Representatives has taken on the role of Macon County Fan Club President. His duties and responsibilities include those which he chooses to accept (and/or create.) Congratulations John!

This and More or Less

The other night, as I drifted off to sleep, I relived the opening of Michael's Museum, Friday, May 13, 2011.

The morning ceremonies were attended by over 90 people including museum staff, museum board members, dignitaries, news media, family, and friends. The evening celebration was a grand event attended by over 300 family, friends, acquaintances, and museum staff.

May 13th celebrated not only the opening of MM@CCM but in many ways celebrated what I had been able to accomplish over the last thirty years of my life in the form of a little museum in a big museum, celebrated the hundreds of thousands of visitors who would experience the joy and feel the magic of Michael's Museum, and also I must admit (with no humility) celebrated me.

It was a big evening and I was careful to study it, watch it, absorb it and remember it ... to be revisited when needed to. Like a bride at her wedding, I didn't want to have to say, "It was all a blur." I have been quoted as saying, "While I love to collect little things, I love to live my life BIG." That day and evening were BIG.

As I was drifting and remembering and re-experienceing, several thoughts passed my mind that asked, "Will there ever be anything as BIG again for me? What might the next BIG thing in my life be? How can I deal with looking forward only to the LITTLE things of daily life again?"

In the next set of thoughts, I realized that all I have to do is go to Navy Pier, to the Chicago Children's Museum, and sit on the sofa in Michael's Museum watching the visitors as they involve themselves with the collection of collections. Each person's experience will sometimes be obvious and most often be private and unique to each individual.

As I sit there and observe, I will know that what I have accomplished, with the help of the Chicago Children's Museum's Team, will have had an influence on those toddlers, children, young people, teens, young adults, adults, parents, grand parents, and more. I will have shared the magic and joy and I will feel big.

Mini-Fig Madness

OPENING SEPTEMBER 20, 2011 @ The Changing Collection Exhibit @ Michael's Museum @ Chicago Children's Museum @ Navy Pier: "Mini-Fig Madness" including Lego Minifigures and more featuring Halloween, Famous People, Multi Cultural, and Monochromatic. This exhibit is on loan from the collection of Amethel-Parel Sewell.

A Toast

Pat, a good friend and volunteer at Michael's Museum as well as the World Wide President of Michael's Museum's Fan Club, prepared this toast in case such an occasion arose at the opening celebrations on Friday, May 13, 2011. The occasion never presented itself but she wanted to share her words with me. I am sharing them here with you. Thank you Pat!

"When I first met Michael, I immediately described him as generous. While volunteering at Michael's Museum before it opened, I saw him handle at least a million details without losing his focus, good humor, or patience with his volunteer helpers and the museum support staff.


He has a sense of wonder still, about all the fuss over him. We are here because Michael has enriched all of our lives and now his influence spreads to the city of Chicago and beyond. Here's to you Michael - You did it!

The Curator Is In

These photos were taken at the CCM Parent Program called "The Curator Is In." Now and then, Michael, the curator is at the museum to greet visitors, conduct personal tours of Michael's Museum, answer questions, tell stories about the collections, listen to visitor's stories about their collections, to lead the "Coffee Table Treasure Hunt" game, and more. Michael will be "In" on Mondays during November and December from 10:30 am - 12:30 pm. Come visit.

The pictures were taken from the back to insure privacy and with the permission of those and the caregivers of those photographed.

Michael's Museum Corner at the CCM Gift Shop

Michael's Museum has its own gift shop, or at least a corner of the Chicago Children's Museum's Gift Shop. Besides gifts and collectibles inspired by Michael's Museum being for sale, there are three of Michael's collections on view (Noah's Ark, Feathers, & Cola Bottles) and an invitation to "see more upstairs."

Tiny Pencil Carvings

Every now and then an e-mail comes across my desk with a website link dealing with tiny treasures. Here is one dealing with carved pencil points:

Focus on art: Dalton Ghetti

PUBLISHED ON AUGUST 17TH, 2011 

The intricate magic of pencil lead sculptor Dalton Ghetti. He’s been featured on a lot of blogs and website, as I found out with a quick Google search, but having just seen his work for the first time today, I thought it worth sharing.

“At school I would carve a friend’s name into the wood of a pencil and then give it to them as a present. Later, when I got into sculpture, I would make these huge pieces from things like wood, but decided I wanted to challenge myself by trying to make things as small as possible.”
— DALTON GHETTI

More of an insight on Vimeo: Pencil artist Dalton Ghetti (embedded below).

In 2002 Dalton Ghetti began working on a memorial project for 9/11 where each person who died is represented by a tiny graphite teardrop about the size of a grain of rice. The Connecticut-based sculptor has been carving one teardrop per day, and when he finishes he’ll glue the drops to a white background to form a larger teardrop.

Dalton Ghetti, on Facebook
Finding the Art in a Pencil Tip, on NYTimes.com

If you liked this, you might also like these artists: Sipho Mabona, Peter Callesen,Julian Beever.

Via @myttonwilliams.