2012

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

ARTIFACTS

Just an advanced announcement that Jake Bloom & Jan Yourist, artists & collectors, will be the featured guest collectors in the Changing Collections Cabinet in Michael's Museum beginning January 2, 2012 with their exhibit: "ARTIFACTS." Items have been selected from all over their house including this "Collection Wall." Come visit!

Society Pages

Michael's Museum, along with Chicago Children's Museum, made the Chicago Tribune Society Pages in Candace Jordan's column about the second annual SNOWBALL.

Merry Christmas

We will be quite busy this evening making sure everyone gets their gifts, so wanted to take this occasion to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas! HoHoHo

Second Annual Snowball

Great article by Candace Jordan, Social Columnist at Chicago Tribune, covered Chicago Children's Museum's Second Annual Snowball, a dinner dance for children and their parents. Towards the bottom of the article mention is made of Michael's Museum. Michael Horvich, Curator was the in-kind sponsor for the "Make-A-Snow Person" activity.


Click here to see article.


Below: Michael at the Snowball with two of his friends. Michael, Curator of Michael's Museum was the in-kind sponsor for the "Make-A-Snow Person" winter activity at the Snowball. Children made "Snow People" out of white gum balls, plastic top hats, yarn scarfs, and marker features and buttons.

Below:  Jo Brecknock and daughter Lily Brecknock make a Snow Person.

HAPPY NEW YEAR

With Love From Michael's Museum

A Very Happy New Year!

HAPPY KWANZAA

With Love From Michael's Museum

A Very Happy Kwanzaa!

HAPPY WINTER SOLSTICE

With Love From Michael's Museum

A Very Happy Winter Solstice!

HAPPY CHANUKAH

With Love From Michael's Museum

A Very Happy Chanukah!

MERRY CHRISTMAS

With Love From Michael's Museum

A Very Merry Christmas!

Monday 12/19/2011

Michael will be in Michael's Museum tomorrow, Monday from 10:30 - 12:30. Come visit. 

Sorry, Santa won't be able to join Michael. Santa will be at the toy shop working towards the holidays.

The Brick Thief

Watch this video then be sure to visit the Changing Collections Cabinet at Michael's museum featuring Guest Collector Amethel Parel-Sewell's MINIFIG MADNESS. Lego mini figures for winter, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Chanukah, Kwanzaa. Until January 2, 2012.

Click here to watch.

Happy Holidays

Believe in the magic. Happy Holidays from Michael's Museum!

Michael's Museum Mondays

Today Michael visited with families from both coasts - L.A. and N.Y.C. - and many families from the city and suburbs of Chicago.

Sophia (3 years old) and Michael made "Puff Ball Cupcakes." She was able to imagine each color puff ball as a flavor: Red = Cherry, Brown = Chocolate, White = Vanilla, Pink = Strawberry.

Julie (2 years old) enjoyed calling the "Cat" a "Dog" and the "Elephant" a "Horse." She would giggle showing that she really was teasing.

A bother (10 years old) and sister (13 years old) were identifying correctly the people in the Changing Collections Cabinet on the Lego "Famous Mini Figures" shelf. They noticed that most of the figures were "created" by the guest collector, not "purchased."

Michael and a Caregiver discussed in Spanish, the fact that she brings the children to Michael's Museum at least once a week.

Come visit with Michael, Curator of Michael's Museum, on Mondays in December (5, 12, 19) between 10:30 and 12:30.

Fuzzies

Had a very serious conversation with a kindergardener today in Michael's Museum. He noticed that I was carrying a bunch of "puff balls" from one Visitor Display Cabinet to the Visitor Display Type Tray on the wall.

"I made a Fuzzy out of a puff ball," he commented.

"Oh, tell me all about that," I replied.

"Well you make feet out of a piece of leather and glue the puff ball on the feet. Then you very carefully glue two google eyes in place. Then you give it a name. I have made millions of Fuzzys."

"Wow, how nice to have a Fuzzy Collection. Thanks for sharing."

MINIFIG MADNESS: Part II

The Lego MINIFIG MADNESS Part II is now in place at Michael's Museum in the Changing Collections Cabinet on loan from Guest Collectors. The show will be up until January 2, 2012.

Come see over 125 Lego mini figures, most of which are not for sale from Lego but rather have been created by Amethel who has been collecting Legos since she was in Junior High School (some 20-30 years ago?) 

Come see the Thanksgiving Feast, the Winter and Christmas VIllage, the family in their apartment celebrating Kwanzaa, and in another apartment a family celebrating Chanukah.

Pictures will be posted soon. Drop by MM@CCM!

TODAY: Saturday November 19, 2011

Michael will be in Michael's Museum this morning helping Amethel install Holiday Lego Minifigures in the Changing Collections Cabinet. Drop by.

Today in Michael's Museum

Met a woman whose son-in-law has collected over 2,000 Donald Ducks of all sizes.

Visited with a father and his son who spend time together in Michael's Museum at least once a month. The father still has a large collection of Action Figures proudly displayed on the shelves in his childhood bedroom in his parent's home.

Talked with a woman, in Spanish, from Ecuador about the differences of how Día de los Muertos is celebrated in Mexico vs Ecuador.

Native American Heritage Month

Be sure to visit the Native American Tiny Treasures Collection in Michael's Museum.

Visitor Display Areas

In Michael's Museum, there are many Visitor's Display Areas waiting to be "curated" by a child, sometimes with the help of a parent, using many of the available "Tiny Treasures."

On the Curator's Desk, this cabinet is filled with wooden animals.

Also on the Curator's Desk, this muffin tin is filled with plastic buttons ready to be "baked into cupcakes in the oven" according to the visitor who curated it.

In no particular order, someone organized these Puff Balls into a Visitor Display Cabinet on the wall. Additional Puff Balls are waiting in the drawer below.

Colorful Spools & Puff Balls line a Printer's Typeset Tray on the wall of

Michael's Museum: A Curious Collection of Tiny Treasures

at Chicago Children's Museum on Navy Pier

Chicago, Illinois U.S.A.

Happy Anniversary

Today we celebrated Michael's Museum's 6 month anniversary! There was cake and candy and celebration.

NOW AVAILABLE

Now available for purchase, "The Story of Michael's Museum." To celebrate its publication, for a limited time only, get a 10% discount. Check it out at lulu.com:

Click here to go to a new window at lulu.com.

Helping Families in Guatamala

At Michael's Museum today, I visited with Sharon and Dwight Poage who were visiting Chicago representing the Mayan Families Organization which helps with education, health care, elderly care, and more for indigenous Guatemalans. Not sure how yet, but we hope to be of some support.


CLICK HERE: http://www.mayanfamilies.org/Home

Halloween

What a wonderful Halloween spent in Michael's Museum at Chicago Children's Museum. Over 140 individual packets of Candy Corn were handed out to visitors of MM@CCM. "TINY TRICKs or TINY TREATs." The highlight of the day was Michael trying to "scare" the visitors by puffing up and whispering "BOO" with a questioning look on his face. He only got giggles, no fright there :•)

Happy Halloween

Come visit MINIFIG MADNESS in Michael's Museum at The Chicago Children's Museum, featuring over 125 LEGO mini figures collected or assembled by Amethel Parel Sewell, on display in the Changing Collections Cabinet through January 1, 2012.

Here is the last of our interesting LEGO facts:

Each year LEGO produces over 380 million tires for their toy products.

Happy Halloween

The Halloween Faces of Michael

1) The Angel

The Devil

Día de los Muertos

Michael's Museum celebrates Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) and Halloween. This is a picture of Michael's Offerenda (Alter) to his departed friends and family. Notice tiny photographs at the bottom of the photo.

Today's Interesting Lego Fact

Come visit MINIFIG MADNESS in Michael's Museum at The Chicago Children's Museum, featuring over 125 LEGO mini figures collected or assembled by Amethel Parel Sewell, on display in the Changing Collections Cabinet through January 1, 2012.

Here is TODAY'S interesting LEGO fact:

On average, every person on earth owns 70 LEGO bricks.

Halloween

Michael will be at CCM on Monday, October 31 from 10:30-12:30. His costume is a "Candy Corn." Tell him,  "Trick or Treat."

Today's Interesting Lego Fact

Come visit MINIFIG MADNESS in Michael's Museum at The Chicago Children's Museum, featuring over 125 LEGO mini figures collected or assembled by Amethel Parel Sewell, on display in the Changing Collections Cabinet through January 1, 2012.

Here is TODAY'S interesting LEGO fact:

On average, every person on earth owns 70 LEGO bricks.

Today's Interesting LEGO Fact

Come visit MINIFIG MADNESS in Michael's Museum at The Chicago Children's Museum, featuring over 125 LEGO mini figures collected or assembled by Amethel Parel Sewell, on display in the Changing Collections Cabinet through January 1, 2012.

Here is TODAY'S interesting LEGO fact:

Over the years, approximately 485 billion LEGO elements have been manufactured.

Today's Interesting Lego Fact

Come visit MINIFIG MADNESS in Michael's Museum at The Chicago Children's Museum, featuring over 125 LEGO mini figures collected or assembled by Amethel Parel Sewell, on display in the Changing Collections Cabinet through January 1, 2012.

Here is TODAY'S interesting LEGO fact:

More than 7 LEGO sets are sold each second.

Visit With Michael

Look for Michael at Michael's Museum from 10:30-12:30 on Monday, October 31. He will be in costume as a "Candy Corn." Tell him "I am a curious  collector" and claim a tiny prize.

Michael & Maggie

Maggie and Michael with Michael at Michael's Museum: A Curious Collection of Tiny Treasures. (M&Mw/M@MM:CCTT)

Photo and name use taken with permission.

Tiny New York

Every now and then a web site comes to my attention that deals with Tiny Treasures. Here is one that deals with miniature reproductions of store fronts in New York City:
Saving New York One Miniature At A Time

Michael's Museum: A Curious Collection of Tiny Treasures at The Chicago Children's Museum: Birth of a Collector: A Quote

Michael's Museum: A Curious Collection of Tiny Treasures at The Chicago Children's Museum: Birth of a Collector: A Quote: "This journey turns Charles into a collector. Or perhaps, I think, it allows him to collect, to turn looking into having and having into kno...

Birth of a Collector: A Quote

"This journey turns Charles into a collector. Or perhaps, I think, it allows him to collect, to turn looking into having and having into knowing."

This quote comes from The Hare WIth Amber Eyes, Edmund de Waal, 2010 in which the story's narrator becomes the keeper of his families collection of Netsuke, miniature Japanese carved figurines, and sets about to discover the history of the beginning of the collection and the trip it has made since the 200 plus years of its beginning.

netsuke |ˈnetsəkē| noun

a carved buttonlike ornament, esp. of ivory or wood, formerly worn in Japan to suspend articles from the sash of a kimono

An interesting read!

Overheard

Overheard today in Michael's Museum: "OH MY!"

Minifig Madness

Come visit MINIFIG MADNESS in Michael's Museum at The Chicago Children's Museum, featuring over 125 LEGO mini figures collected or assembled by Amethel Parel Sewell, on display in the Changing Collections Cabinet through January 1, 2012.

Here is TODAY'S interesting LEGO fact:

Over the years, approximately 485 billion LEGO elements have been manufactured.

Today's Interesting LEGO Fact

Come visit MINIFIG MADNESS in Michael's Museum at The Chicago Children's Museum, featuring over 125 LEGO mini figures collected or assembled by Amethel Parel Sewell, on display in the Changing Collections Cabinet through January 1, 2012.

Here is TODAY'S interesting LEGO fact:

Over the years, approximately 485 billion LEGO elements have been manufactured.

Today in Michael's Museum

What a day! Columbus Day. No school. Over 350 visitors spent some time in Michael's Museum between 10:30 and 12:30. The best part is that they got to visit with Michael. Even better, Michael got to visit with them. A good time was had by all. Come visit next Monday!

Come visit MINIFIG MADNESS in Michael's Museum at The Chicago Children's Museum, featuring over 125 LEGO mini figures collected or assembled by Amethel Parel Sewell, on display in the Changing Collections Cabinet through January 1, 2012.

These mini-figures were created by Amethel and are called MONOFIGS because each one is monochromatic meaning "all of one color."

Here is TODAY'S interesting LEGO fact:

LEGO products are on sale in more than 130 countries.

Coffee Table Treasure Hunt

Now this is how to really get involved with the Coffee Table Treasure Hunt game in Michael's Museum. It is like an "Eye Spy" game. Come play with family, friends, other visitors, or by yourself.

Come Visit Michael on Columbus Day

Come visit with Michael tomorrow from 10:30 - 12:30. First 25 visitors get a "Tiny Trinket" when you tell him quietly, "I am a curious collector!" (Be sure to whisper!) That's tomorrow Monday, October 10, Columbus Day, from 10:30-12:30.

Minifig Madness Continues

MINIFIG MADNESS, featuring over 125 LEGO mini figures collected or assembled by Amethel Parel Sewell is on display in the Changing Collections Cabinet through January 1, 2012.

Here is TODAY'S interesting LEGO fact:

The world's children spend 5 billion hours a year playing with LEGO bricks.

Minifig Madness Continiues

Don't forget that MINIFIG MADNESS, featuring over 125 LEGO mini figures collected or assembled by Amethel Parel Sewell is on display in the Changing Collections Cabinet through January 1, 2012. Here is an interesting LEGO fact: More than 400 million children and adults will play with LEGO bricks this year!

Columbus Day at Michael's Museum

A LITTLE ADVANCED NOTICE: After todays successful "Souvenir Give-A-Way," next Monday, Columbus Day, Michael will give the first 25 visitors a "Tiny Trinket" when they tell him quietly, "I am a curious collector!" (Be sure to whisper!) That's next Monday, October 10, Columbus Day, 
from 10:30-12:30.

Visit With Michael

On Monday, October 3, Michael will be in Michael's Museum from 10:30 - 12:30 for "The Curator Is In" program. Come enjoy the collections, the activities, the conversation! The first dozen (12) visitors that whisper, "I am a curious collector" in Michael's ear will receive a Tiny Trinket Souvenir.

Pelé

A MICHAEL'S MUSEUM MOMENT: During the installation of the MINIFIG MADNESS Changing Collection in Michael's Museum, a family of 4 visiting from Brazil had the chance to interact with Michael and Amethel (MINIFIG Master) and discover one of the LEGO minifigures she created as part of her "FAMOUS FIGS" collection was "Pelé," from Brazil who is possibly the greatest soccer player.

• • • • •

MINIFIG MADNESS

Michael's Museum at Chicago Children's Museum on Navy Pier features a "Changing Collections Cabinet" periodically featuring collections from guest collectors.

The current collection, on loan from Amethel Parel-Sewel, presents MINIFIG MADNESS with over 130 little LEGO people purchased and/or created by the collector.

It is open through January 1, 2012. It includes: 1) Around the World Minifigs, 2) Monochromatic MInifigs, 3) Frightful Minifigs for Halloween, and 4) Important People Minifigs including a miniature Michael's Museum.

In November we will be adding Minifigs for: Fall, Thanksgiving, Winter, Christmas, Chanukah, Kwanzaa, and more.  

MINIFIGS FROM AROUND THE WORLD

AROUND THE WORLD: Left

 AROUND THE WORLD: Center

AROUND THE WORLD: Right

 AROUND THE WORLD: (Left to Right)

Amethel, Paz, Kai, Ken, Gregory, Michael.

Two people bottom right - unidentified.

MONOFIGS

 MONOFIGS: Left

 MONOFIGS: Right

FRIGHTFUL FIGS

FRIGHTFUL FIGS: Left

FRIGHTFUL FIGS: Center

FRIGHTFUL FIGS: Right

 FRIGHTFUL FIGS: Balcony

FAMOUS FIGS

FAMOUS FIGS: Left

FAMOUS FIGS: Center

FAMOUS FIGS: Right

Replica of Michael's Museum: Front

 Replica of Michael's Museum: Left

Replica of Michael's Museum: Right

 Replica of Michael's Museum: Back

 Amethel Parel-Sewell, Minifig Master

Kai Parel- Sewell, Assistant