Hoarding Gourds

There is no such thing as a typical day at the Museum.  Curator and friend Henry Sweets has told me this a thousand times, always with a knowing smile.  Henry is wise.  And right.

On Friday morning Henry was visited by a couple who brought us a gigantic hand-painted gourd that was covered in scenes from The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, all beautifully depicted in acrylics.  The artist, Mrs. Marsan, is 70 years old and works in any medium that is handy.  She raises her own gourds and has won numerous "Best of Show" and "First Place" awards for her work.  The "Mark Twain Gourd" includes some wood-burning technique and a bit of sculpture.  Even the handle, an antique fishing bobber, is complimented with a smaller gourd painted to look exactly like a Mississippi River catfish.  The work is unusual and compelling, and we are proud to accept it into our collection.  In fact, we are hoping Mrs. Marsan will accept our invitation to visit the Museum in the spring and talk about her work.  It's nice to know there are folks out there indulging their creativity and that they are finding some inspiration in our Sam Clemens!

Thanks you, Mrs. Marsan!

Henry Sweets accepts hand-painted "Mark Twain" gourd from Mrs. Marsan's daughter