“Sundae” at the Museum to Feature Art on the Lawn

Sunday, July 9th from 1:00 till 4:00 p.m. will bring something new to the Versailles Area Museum in something we are calling “A Celebration of the Arts”. This special day will feature the talents of the Darke County Art Guild. This group of some 60 plus members dedicate themselves to improving their artistic talents through classes, presentations and continuing work at their craft. From 1:00 to 4:00 members will be painting or sketching at the museum, inside and out of doors as weather permits. What a wonderful opportunity to watch these talented folks create museum artifacts worthy of the next generation!

To enhance your afternoon, why not bring your lawn chairs and sit a spell in our shady lawn? We will also be featuring our Ice-cream Social with delicious sweet treats to enjoy. This fundraiser enables the museum to continue its many new displays and events and we value your support.

Remember as an added treat our Local Artist’s display featuring various art mediums will be open. Included in this new display will be the pottery of Marilyn Gerling Barge, and oils by local artist Carolyn Armstrong. We also honor local theatre icons Esther Pittsenbarger and Dale & Alnora Snedeker. Music has been apart of all our area communities through the years. Community bands and other groups have kept toes tapping and folks dancing since they came to this area. If you have memorabilia or ideas for this room, please share with us as we continue to develop this area.

We will also officially open a new display reflecting on the rich history of petroleum stations in the community.

Tom Mendenhall, an active volunteer at the museum came up with this superb idea over a year ago working on the “How can we do this?” After much planning and the efforts of many the new display moved in on June 20th and hass being finalized for her grand reveal.

This display pays tribute to the former Versailles Oil & Gas which later became known to numerous generations of locals as Gus’s. The Station was originally located west of the Buckeye Overall Company on West Main Street and later at the corner of South Center Street and Marker Road or State Route 121.

While numerous area Stations are also featured in photos and memorabilia we wanted to focus on the one that stayed the longest. Our thanks to Gus Barga’s son Doug, and daughter and son-in-law Carmen and Jon Snyder, for loaning the Museum several items which are featured from the long-time Versailles area establishment.

What would a Station be without a car? Well thanks to John McEldowney and his Dad, Phil we have a fantastic 1929 Ford Model A parked in our lobby.

Other friends of the museum including Art Gaier, Sarah Magoto, Ron Kramer, and Tom Mendenhall have enriched this display that we are sure will be talked about by all who stop by to visit 1930’s Versailles!

We hope you’ll join us for this fun, new event with your attendance and support this Sunday!