A Water Tower Town

There are only a few more days to see the Doin’ a Little Doodlin’ exhibit and add your own napkin art to the Kelley House Collection. Next Thursday, the Kelley House Museum will open our summer exhibition: Water Tower Wonderland. The exhibit will explore some of the most iconic structures of the Mendocino skyline, both those deconstructed and those still standing, and will blend together history and art throughout. 

Come to learn about the necessity and functions of the water towers and windpumps (fun fact: it is technically incorrect to call them windmills since in Mendocino they were used to pump water, not to mill anything). Appreciate the architectural beauty of the original structures in historic photographs, and see a model of the Kelley House’s original, very fancy water tower.  

The exhibit focus is also on the artistic potential of these magnificent structures: they have been providing inspiration to artists of all kinds for generations, and still do today. On display will be renderings of Mendocino water towers in several media, with serigraphs by Anne Kendall Foote and Bill Zacha, a quilt square by Dee Goodrich, and a woodcut by Emmy Lou Packard. The Kelley House has also been working closely with the Mendocino High School for this exhibit and will show pastels and architectural models made by students. 

The exhibit will open on Thursday, June 8^th, and there will be a reception as a part of Second Saturday on June 10^th. The Saturday reception will begin as a member-only event from 4:00–5:00 pm, when wine and cheese will be served. After 5:00 pm the reception is open to the public until 7 pm and we will serve cookies and soda. And water!

The Kelley House Museum is open from 11AM to 3PM Thursday through Monday. If you have a question for the curator, reach out to [email protected] to make an appointment. Walking tours of the historic district depart from the Kelley House regularly.