The Ella Sharp Museum started as a dream of Ella Merriman Sharp who resided in Jackson for many years with the hopes of preserving her city’s great heritage and past.
“Ella Sharp was a longtime Jackson resident. She and her husband John were very civic orientated and very active in Jackson’s politics and civic life. When they passed away they had no children and left their land and house to the city of Jackson in 1912 with the stipulation that it can be used as a park and a museum,” said Amy Reimann Executive Director for the Ella Sharp Museum.
Ella Sharp’s dream came true and in 1915 the Ella Sharp Park was opened. The Ella Sharp Museum was opened 50 years later in 1965, in the original farm house, an old Victorian mansion, boasting Jackson’s rich culture and distinctive past.
Today the park is still open and the museum rests on 10 acres of original land giving Jackson residents and visitors alike a chance to relive history as it was over 100 years ago when John and Ella Sharp lived there.
“One of our main focuses is to be the recipient of anything about Jackson County; the people who live there, the industry that goes on here and the business that goes on here. We collect all of those things,” said Reimann.
Ella Sharp’s collection is extensive. The museum currently has about 40,000 unique objects in their collection. Each of these objects tells the story of Jackson’s rich development and importance to our culture.
Many would think of Jackson as simply a sleepy northern city tucked away among the wildlife and pine trees, but that is not true. There is plenty to learn about the city. Jackson has a rich automobile past that goes back to the early 1900’s. Reimann says that in the early 1900’s Jackson produced over 25 different types of automobiles (that is more than Detroit and Lansing). Jackson is also home of the birthplace of the Republican Party. Reimann says that the museum wants to preserve this rich history and educate residents and visitors.
“We are actually trying to develop and enrich ourselves with culture and history here in Jackson,” said Reimann.
Reimann says there is an interest in the community for Jackson’s art, culture and past. Currently Jackson has 9 museums in the area including the Ella Sharp Museum.
“The fact that the Ella Sharp has been here for 49 years is also a testament that there is sustainability for museum things here,” said Reimann.
Even with its success the Ella Sharp Museum is still not done. Reimann says that its goal is to build up the museum so that people would have a lot to see when they came to visit. Not only does the museum offer exhibits from its own private collection, trendy artwork is also brought in from the outside such as the “American Impressionism: The Lure of the Artists’s Colony” exhibit, which was on display from October to January and showing artwork from the 1880’s through the 1930’s.
Reimann says that the museum is trying to help people understand the different forms that art can take.
“We also have a fine arts gallery where we rotate the exhibits that we bring in from the outside,” said Reimann.
One of these Galleries is the Emmet Gallery where art work from Detroit artists Cedric Henry and Byron Reed are on display until March 15.
“We try to bring a good flavor of things to attract people to come here and experience with us,” said Reimann.
To check out these wonderful galleries and exhibits, tours of the museum are offered during business hours. Visitors who pay general admission to the galleries during regular business hours get a self-guided experience. Scheduled guided tours are available upon request; call the museum for more information. General admission to the galleries is $5.00 for adults and $3.00 for children. Tours of the Merriman-Sharp farmhouse are also available, as well as, admission to both the farmhouse and the galleries.
To help out with the cost of visiting the museum, discounts for AAA members and active men and women in the service are also offered.
“It’s a very affordable day to come out and spend with us,” said Reimann.
But Ella Sharp is not just for tours of the farmhouse and galleries, known as Pioneer Living educational programs are also offered at the museum for both home schooled and public schooled children. 2nd and 3rd grade students can come and spend a day at the museum mimicking the life of a school child in the 1800’s. Modern children can play games from the 1800’s and learn what children would have learned in school over a century ago.
Cannot afford to visit Ella Sharp on a regular day then stop by for one of the free community events held quarterly at the museum. The next event will be a Sugaring & Shearing event held on March 30, 2014.The free event will demonstrate sheep shearing and will teach observers how to turn the wool into yarn. There will also be a demonstration on how to make a wool fleece and much more. All the buildings will be open to the public as visitors get a no cost tour of the museum.
“Everything is open and available to everybody for free the galleries and everything. Those are kind of our ways to invite the community in. If you haven’t been with us come and join us and if you have been with us come back and see us again,” said Reimann.
There is also a Fall Harvest and a Christmas event for those who cannot make it to the Sugaring & Shearing event coming in March. The museum also hosts an Art, Beer & Wine in June which is its biggest fundraiser of the year.
For those looking to celebrate and educate at the same time birthday parties are offered at Ella Sharp. Tours of the galleries as well as a craft is provided at the party. Reimann says that the unique thing about celebrating a birthday at Ella Sharp is the craft provided by the museum is also tied into one of the galleries giving the kids an educational experience as well as a good time.
“We think we are a really cool place to visit and we have a lot of kids that come here on a regular basis,” said Reimann. “We’re a real comfortable place for the kids in our community to come and enjoy. Why not spend your birthday with us,” said Reimann.
For more information on the Ella Sharp Museum call 517-787-2320 or log on to www.ellasharpmuseum.org .
This article was printed in the March 9, 2014 – March 22, 2014 edition
