We’ve enjoyed a touch of enchantment at the Den through our winter wonderland animal dioramas, featuring the art work of the Bennett Intermediate School 5th Grade Students, with Roberta Ziemba as their art instructor. Roberta selected a beautiful color palette of blue, purples, and pinks with shimmering decorative effects. We loved seeing these talented students and their families at the opening!
We’d also like to thank RCS Fine Art for their help with the dioramas in the Steiff History Room, which combined the student work with our own Steiff winter animal artifacts. Thank you Rebecca Shea and Charlie Butterly.
Our doll house came to life through a cozy party scene filled with delicious miniature food and lots of Steiff teddy bears. Many thanks to Diana Smith Rush for staging such a beautiful scene, and to Charlie Butterly for lighting it.
Our stone room diorama artists worked under a tight deadline to create inviting winter wonderland habitats for our Steiff animals, and John Cox of Refab made wonderful, light-weight boxes that our artists could transport to their studios with ease. Thank you to the following for creating these large box dioramas:
“Wandering Winter Bearries” by Doreen Johnson
“Winter’s Muse” by Kelly Merchant
“Winter Den” by India Sachi
“Winter Garden” by Jennifer Muck
“Magic Hour” by Roberta Ziemba
“Steiff Circus” by Nancy Ostrovsky
Maria Reidelbach created a beautiful, wintery-graphic-design-look for us on very short notice! You saved us again.
Kelly Merchant responded to eleventh hour call of “HELP!” by organizing and curating many of the shelves of Steiff animals in the upstairs gallery of the collection room. Her selection of “Jewel Toned” Steiff is one of the visitor’s favorite shelves this winter.
Lora Shelley designed another beautiful storeshop display at Kingston Candy Bar, including her hand-sewn costumes and banners. Thanks to Diane Reeder for continuing to extend this great opportunity to us, and for packaging the gummy bears and candy we sell via the Kingston Candy Bar. You can now buy Steiff animals you see on display directly from the Kingston Candy Bar.
Holiday Decoration Team was lead by Doreen Johnson, with help from Heather Needham, and RCS Fine Art. Doreen hung beautiful garlands throughout the house, Heather decorated sleds as a focal point outside and created hand-made wreaths for the windows. Kiddos Clara and Ella decorated the Christmas tree.
Exterior lighting thanks goes to Doreen Johnson, John Cox, Frank Meli, and Steve Schaefer – if it hadn’t been for them, Steve and I never would have hung up the lights around the porch, sign, or the deer decorations in time for Christmas. We’d also like to thank Seth Rubin for getting some much-needed, temporary spotlights onto our sign during the frightening ice storm on our opening.
Thanks to Lisa Jones for the delicious food she’s served at several winter events, including the exhibition opening, and the RVGA event. We continue to carry her baked goods here at the Den. Thanks to Nancy Cobb for helping us organize the space better and keep up on those annoying pine needles and glitter.
We thank everyone who braved the weather during the opening event. To all of you who have volunteered, who have come as visitors this winter, or who spread the word to friends, we thank you all!
