Submitted by Tara Heffernan
We are so ready for spring at METC!
The Museum of Early Trades & Crafts is offering an abundance of new and different programs for all our visitors with the goal that everyone will be able to find something of interest at the museum to celebrate Spring.
First up is our new exhibition, “Are We There Yet? Stories of Travel by Stagecoach and Steam” opening in our Main Gallery on Friday, March 9, 2018. It will tell the story of the major expansion in travel during the 19th century, featuring personal accounts from letters in our collection, of journeys throughout New Jersey. It will also examine through actual artifacts, how the transportation networks were built, from the surveyors’ compasses, to rail roaders’ equipment to the tracklayers tools, that helped connect these early travelers with their world. METC will host a special opening reception on Thursday, March 15 at 6:30 p.m.
On March 10, we have a very special Makers Day project featuring the construction of a scale model of an East Jersey Cottage. This architectural style is a hybrid form, first seen around 1730 almost exclusively in what is now Essex, Union, and Morris Counties. The project, our interpretation of a “spring barn raising,” will be led by Master Carpenter Tyler Merson.
And finally, the Museum is expanding its After School Programs for spring and we are pleased to offer two new programs for kids. Museum Curators will explore the art of collecting, and offer insight into how museums use collections to create exhibits. Participants will be work with a museum educator to create their own min-exhibit. Our second program, “Introduction to Tabletop Game Design” will incorporate the mechanics of game design, story-telling and strategy development culminating with each student creating their own unique table top game. This program is led by guest instructor, Jennifer Graham-Macht of Play Satellite, who brings years of experience as a gaming industry consultant, designer, educator, and game store owner. Both are eight-week programs starting in April and registration can be done on line at metc.org/after-school-program-2/ or by calling the Museum at 973-377-2982.
We look forward to seeing you at the Museum of Early Trades & Crafts, 9 Main Street, Madison, New Jersey.
(above) Carter Schabel, Makers Day, 2017
