California Southwest Region
Jane Austen and Napoleon at the Muzeo Museum
December 12-13, 2009
On a rainy Saturday, four JASNA Southwest members made their way through flooded streets and freeways to the Muzeo Museum in Anaheim, California. They were participating in a Jane Austen Day at the Muzeo, in connection with its exhibit, “The Treasures of Napoleon.” The group set up an enticing array of the novels of Jane Austen, handouts on JASNA and JASNA-SW, membership brochures, tidbits from past AGM’s, a large poster comparing the lives of Jane Austen and Napoleon, and other items to attract museum visitors from 12-4 pm. On Sunday, which was bright and shining, seven members arrived to work the crowds. JASNA members who participated in the educational event received free entrance to the museum. Any other JASNA members who wished simply to see the exhibit received a 50% discount those two days.
Maryanne Pelensky, Carla Washburn, and Nancy Gallagher
at the Muzeo
JASNA-SW helped to organize a troupe of English Country Dancers, which performed exhibition dancing for several hours on Sunday. Eleven dancers performed for twenty minutes each hour. Having an extra dancer helped because members of the audience had a ready partner to join in the dancing.
JASNA-SW members in costume also wandered through the exhibit itself, eager to answer any questions from museum-goers. We found one long-lost member of JASNA-SW and fielded questions about Jane Austen from interested passersby, handing out several membership brochures.
Many thanks to the participating members of JASNA-SW: Viki Bari, Claire Bellanti, Paula Dacker, Jan Fahey, Anna Freeman, Nancy Gallagher, Jody Gunn, Maryanne Pelensky, Terry Ryan, Kathleen Dixon, and Carla Washburn. Judee Pronovost organized the English Country Dancers, which included: Frances Sotcher, Mickey Waring, Irmgard Rodgers, Timothy Byrd, Marchele Zolman, Mariann Karish, John Chapman, Lucia Coulter, and Rick Murphy.
—Claire Bellanti