Rebecca Zeiss Receives Award

[editor's note: In the State of Michigan, the bicentennial of the War of 1812 is being marked with numerous events across the state. The Michigan War of 1812 Bicentennial Commission has provided the Michigan Historical Review and the Clarke Historical Library with a digital flier that we are making available as an appendix to our previous posting about the War of 1812 special issue of the Michigan Historical Review. In today's posting, we are highlighting the recognition of the work of a Clarke Historical Library collaborator - Rebecca Zeiss.] 

by Janet Danek

For several years CMU has enjoyed the artistic expression of Rebecca Zeiss through the beautiful exhibits she has created for the Clarke Historical Library galleries. This past week she was recognized with the top honor as she was awarded the Grand Prize in the 51st Annual Greater Michigan Art Exhibition which currently on display at the Alden B. Dow Museum of Science and Art in Midland, Michigan. Her award-winning piece titled: Inculcated Domesticity is a collection of 5 photography-pigment ink prints. The collection is stunning and is enhanced by its overall scale of a nearly 20-foot width.

Rebecca is a CMU alumna, having earned her Master of Fine Arts in Photography.

This is one of the few statewide visual arts competitions in Michigan. At the exhibit opening, Bruce Winslow, director of the Alden B. Dow Museum of Science and Art said he felt this collection is one of the best in the show’s history. Ten cash awards went to a diverse group of artists employing a variety media including wood, metal, and fiber. The juror for this exhibition was Robert Schefman, a master painter and instructor of art at the College for Creative Studies in Detroit.

The exhibit will be on display through August 18 at the Midland Center for the Arts.

Michigan Historical Review: War of 1812 Issue

by Bryan Whitledge and Mary Graham

Monday, June 18 of this year marked the 200th anniversary of the declaration of war by the nascent United States against the British Empire - the beginning of the War of 1812. In recognition of this milestone in United States, Canadian, British, and American Indian history, the Spring 2012 issue of Michigan Historical Review (Vol. 38, no.1) is a special issue devoted to the War of 1812. The issue focuses on the western front of the War, specifically on events in and around Michigan Territory. Particular articles relate to the Black Hawk War, the War on both sides of the Detroit River, and in Michilimackinac and Prairie du Chien (click on the image of the table of contents to enlarge it).

The Michigan Historical Review is also highlighting another of their efforts - the 2012 Graduate Student Essay Prize. The deadline for this contest, which features a $1,000 cash prize and publication in the Michigan Historical Review, is July 2, 2012. For further information, please click on this link.

For more information about the Special War of 1812 issue or any other issue of the Michigan Historical Review, including ordering copies, please feel free to visit the MHR website via this link or call 989-774-6567.

Finally, please look at Pulitzer Prize-winning author Alan Taylor's The Civil War of 1812: American Citizens, British Subjects, Irish Rebels, & Indian Allies for further information about the War of 1812.

[UPDATE: Please click on the images below to see the list of events being sponsored by the Michigan War of 1812 Bicentennial Commission]

Clarke Events in the Little Traverse Bay Area This Summer

The Clarke Historical Library’s just-closed exhibit, A Delightful Destination: Little Traverse Bay at the Turn of the Century, is currently on tour this summer. The exhibit will be shown at the Harbor Springs History Museum from June 14th through the beginning of 2013. There will be an opening reception from 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm on Thursday, June 14th at the Harbor Springs History Museum.

A second event in the Little Traverse Bay area is the premiere of a WCMU produced documentary entitled Into the North, which tells the story of the tourist culture that blossomed at the turn of the 20th Century. This half-hour film will be shown on Wednesday, June 20th at 6:30 pm and 8:00 pm at the Crooked Tree Art Center in Petoskey.

Finally, the Little Traverse History Museum will have a special viewing on Tuesday, July 17th from 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm of a traveling Clarke Historical Library exhibit, Hemingway’s Michigan Story. This exhibit will be shown from mid-June throughout the entire summer.

Join the Clarke Historical Library and our partners in the Little Traverse Bay area this summer to explore the history of this delightful destination.