Children's museum group hopes field trip to Illinois museum exhibits similar need
Photo
Genna Mullen, 5, and her brother Lukas, 7, get creative with water-based paints on a plexiglass wall at the Children’s Discovery Museum in Normal, Ill. The siblings were at the museum on a trip sponsored by a group trying to get a children’s museum built in Janesville.
NORMAL, ILL. — Genna Mullen adjusted her apron and faced her blank canvas. Clutching a paint brush drenched in blue paint, the 5-year-old from Milton twisted her lips to the side and touched the tip of the brush to the clear Plexiglas.
She paid no attention to the kids swiping primary colors across the surface on either side, her eyes focused intently on her vision.
One stroke of yellow. A pause. A swipe of the wet squeegee in her other hand. A broad stroke extended from the brush creating a circle, again and again until she had a perfect shape on the glass.
Mullen's painting technique displayed at an exhibit at the Children's Discovery Museum in Normal, Ill., on Thursday is a bit like the efforts to create a similar museum in Janesville.
The nonprofit advocating for a museum has stopped raising money temporarily due to the weak economy. City council members worried about where the money will come from have also questioned the effort.
But the group is still trying to create its vision, this time by convincing community members that the project is worth the investment through visits to nearby children's museums.
A group of about 80 children and parents from the area traveled to the museum in Normal, Ill., on Thursday for a day of climbing, splashing and painting.
Bringing community members to other children's museums is essential to convincing them the project is worthwhile, said Cheryl Peterson, a member of the steering committee for Janesville Museum, Inc.
"We've found that people don't really understand what a children's museum is because that word 'museum' carries images of exhibits behind glass," she said. "Trips like this are an opportunity to show them it's all about touching and playing to learn and to market this idea."
Members of the city council traveled to Normal's museum last year before they voted to contribute a controversial $5 million if the committee could raise $3 million. Council members Tom McDonald and Bill Truman have expressed hesitation about the city's ability to contribute that much in past interviews with the Gazette.
Council member Yuri Rashkin came on Thursday's trip with his 8-year-old daughter, Isabelle, and said he's still concerned about the price tag associated with a museum.
"After a trip like this, of course we say, 'Wow that would be a cool thing to have,'" Rashkin said. "Then you start looking at the numbers and go, 'Ehh, I don't know about this.'"
The adults and children who rode buses for 2 and a half hours each way seemed to agree with the "cool" part.
Leslie Counsell brought her 5-year-old granddaughter, Macy Hall, and 11-year-old grandson, Parker Hall, on the trip and said she thinks a children's museum would be a great asset to Janesville. The family has been taking the kids to other children's museums in Rockford, Madison and Milwaukee since they were babies, Counsell said.
"I think a lot of people would use it, and you really do see them using the exhibits and learning at the same time," she said.
Macy spent much of the visit climbing through a two-level maze of thick rope ladders and platforms suspended from the ceiling. Parker wasn't sure a children's museum was a great option and didn't find much to interest him, but Macy enthusiastically said, "I do!"
Arlene Welling brought her 3-year-old son, Caden, and said she would love to have a museum closer to their home in Edgerton.
"I think every city should have one, they're so good for the kids," Welling said.
Normal's museum is run by the city's parks and recreation department and prepares its own line-item budget along with grant money each year, said manager Shari Buckellew. The museum moved into its location in downtown Normal during November 2004 after 10 years at a warehouse further from the downtown area. It serves 135,000 visitors each year.
Buckellew said she considers other children's museums in the state to be collaborators, not competition. The staff share ideas and help each other become better, she added.
"I think anyone trying to establish a children's museum needs to get the buy-in from the community and do your research to convince them of the impact it can have on a community," she said.
Peterson said she hopes the trip helped convince the 80 travelers.
"It's hard to see the vision until you actually get in a museum," she said. "I think today showed them the value of having a museum like this locally."
Aug 10, 2009 at 10:41 a.m.
Suggest removal
Rockford and madison are close enough to go to a childrens museum. We don't need one here and I for one do not want to spend tax dollars on this wasted piece. It is not that far to go to the other ones. My taxes are high enough and I say a resounding NO!!!!! We can't even keep our jobs we have, we don't need to waste more taxpayer money on frivolous things!
Aug 9, 2009 at 8:46 p.m.
Suggest removal
I sure hope the city council sees it as you do janesvillemom.....and I hope sahmama is NOT on the council....
Aug 9, 2009 at 8:42 p.m.
Suggest removal
Children's museums are great and if the city had extra funds, it would be a great use for them. BUT this city needs to take care of it's current needs, look at the job losses and property values and not spend money on extra's right now. Especially a museum that is EXPECTED to LOSE money every year! If it was a profitable proposal, then a private group would build one.
*
On another related issue, I used to be for the bike tunnel, but with the economy and the rising price of the tunnel, I think repainting that stretch of Milwaukee St as a single lane/bike lane/parking lane like Wright Rd would solve the bike trail safety issue as well as the Wuthering Hills intersection issue and save us a tunnel and a round-about and a LOT of $$$$$. This city needs to be looking at ways to cut costs, not spend on unnecessary projects.
Aug 9, 2009 at 7:24 p.m.
Suggest removal
proartist wrote "justsome1here....you're right JPAC received monies" but then you state..."a PUBLIC parking lot where those grant monies were spent."
So... what is it? Did JPAC receive money from the city ..or not?
...and, if so,, can ANY of that money be traced back to the taxpayer?
Aug 9, 2009 at 7:13 p.m.
Suggest removal
Forgive my ignorance proartist...but please cut to the chase and explain to me where, actually did the money originate?
It had to come from somewhere. I trust you are up to the task of spelling it out for us less educated.
Was ANY tax money involved, ANYWHERE in this scenario? GRANT or otherwise?
Anxiously awaiting your knowledgeable response.
JD
Aug 9, 2009 at 3:52 a.m.
Suggest removal
Wait a minute....wasn't everyone just ALL about getting rid of the 'ART' teachers in the school disrtict here, just a lilttle while ago???....LMFAO!! :P
Aug 8, 2009 at 10:29 p.m.
Suggest removal
Opinionsforfree: Sorry but I graduated from High School. I dont care about all of the complicated stuff. I just want more activites for children to do. Our city has over 60,000 people but yet we really lack in events/activites for kids and non-drinking adults to do.
What other FREE opinions do you have?
Aug 8, 2009 at 10:04 p.m.
Suggest removal
JohnDoe: ".just how does the city "invest" a million dollars if it isn't taxpayer money?"....it's called a GRANT funneled through the city and earmarked to the benefit of the general public, as well as JPAC, to improve a public area (parking lot) on land donated by the owners of the Marshall Apts. property. I know this is a bit complex for many to understand but that's the history.
Aug 8, 2009 at 9:26 p.m.
Suggest removal
sahmama i have a good feeling that you missed a few classes a college or high school. The cost benefit ratio to collecting money for the museum and the wages that are paid which would put money in the community's economy are not even being close to being worth the effort. I suggest you keep your uneducated idiotic comments to yourself.
Aug 8, 2009 at 8:05 p.m.
Suggest removal
Getting to the main point of my comment on the children's museum - an absurd and really dumb idea! We should never pay a single penny for this foolish idea. No more taxpayer dollars during this difficult time with our economy for things like this. It's time for the city council to be more responsible with our money. Although others may initially pay for this - SOON - it will become another item for the city(you and I) to pay for. How about the city council members making a simple wants and needs list when deciding on the necessary things needed for the city?
Aug 8, 2009 at 6:36 p.m.
Suggest removal
JohnDoe: As I recall, the city "invested" their money in the parking lot which is a city lot, not a private parking lot, and open to the public at all times (except maybe for snow plowing).
Aug 8, 2009 at 6 p.m.
Suggest removal
"In September 2004, the Janesville Performing Arts Center opened. The City invested $1 million in the Center."
http://www.ci.janesville.wi.us/Library/E...
proartist...just how does the city "invest" a million dollars if it isn't taxpayer money?
Aug 8, 2009 at 5:50 p.m.
Suggest removal
Oh what A wonderful idea....a zoo!! I know we could fill that baby up with all sorts of creatures from right here in Jansville!! then maybe we could start filling it up again with "things" from the state level......(no hair needed) then it is off to Washington.........the possibilities are endless.......
yes I'm one of those angry mobsters the Democrats are worried about.......sheeeesh
LOL and yes everyone I'm only kidding about the zoo............but it does sound like a great idea. but no taxpayer money please!!!!
Aug 8, 2009 at 3:14 p.m.
Suggest removal
proartist - From what I remember, there was a donation with strings attached. Something to the effect of the money will be donated if you (the city) also donate some money. Whether it was from a grant, taxpayers, the government or whoever, the city still agreed to the deal.
Aug 8, 2009 at 2:54 p.m.
Suggest removal
justsome1here....you're right JPAC received monies but they MYTH lives forever that it was local taxpayer monies. The funds received were a separate grant and not from Janesville tax coffers. On the other hand, the JPAC property owners GAVE the City of Janesville FREE land for a PUBLIC parking lot where those grant monies were spent. Let's get the FACTS straight and stop the constant use of JPAC as an example of mis-spent tax dollars when that simply isn't the case.
Aug 8, 2009 at 2:53 p.m.
Suggest removal
Yes I read what I wrote.
I want to find out how to become part of this museum group.
Do something for a cause sounds good to me
Aug 8, 2009 at 2:46 p.m.
Suggest removal
sahmama: Did you really read what you wrote? I love the compassion. Our unemployment is over 14%. This doesn't include people who are going to school, actively seeking work, and those who have two part time jobs to make ends meet. Obviously the real number is much higher. Why should everyone suffer without a childrens museum? Please... just because your inner circle is OK doesn't mean the huge job losses in the area shouldn't be priority #1. That said, and I've said this before, if the childrens museum can find enough funding on their own and ticket sales will support it, most people are fine with it. The last proposal assumed ridiculously high attendance numbers and still came up 200,000 dollars a year short. This came at the same time they were discussing cuts in are our schools. Sorry, but the timing on this is horrid. My suggestion to those who support this is to keep raising money and come up with a plan that doesn't cost the city money it doesn't have. It's obviously a good thing for kids, but it needs to be fiscally responsible. Isn't that a lesson we should teach our children?
Aug 8, 2009 at 2:40 p.m.
Suggest removal
Sacrifice not suffer!
Aug 8, 2009 at 2:23 p.m.
Suggest removal
Well there had to be someone else who agrees that children come first. They are our future.
Everyone complains about our economy. Yet I am not having a problem at all and many people I know arent. So its not affecting everyone. Wy must we all suffer?
Aug 8, 2009 at 2 p.m.
Suggest removal
Please disregard my enty from 11:19 last night I must have been tired, my entry was way to serious. Today I think I would like a zoo, maybe an ark so we could really give our children an advantage over other cities. I think we need this, it is not a want but a need.
Aug 8, 2009 at 1:14 p.m.
Suggest removal
Hannah, for once, you and I agree!
Aug 8, 2009 at 1:13 p.m.
Suggest removal
We cannot spend any money on a museum. We have to save our pennies for the bike tunnel.
Aug 8, 2009 at 11:13 a.m.
Suggest removal
sahmama: Fork over $8 million and you can build the museum.
Aug 8, 2009 at 11:05 a.m.
Suggest removal
sahmama: Then may I suggest 4-H for your kids. They would learn valuable skills and life lessons. We just had the fair...did you see all of the projects that they could do? There are great leaders out there that would love to teach them new things (photography, painting, drawing, foods, small engines, rocketry, sewing and MUCH MORE)
*
4-H is a great way to keep your kids active with you...heck become a leader yourself ! then you can spend quality time with them and have a fun learning experience too.
*
With the economy the way it is we have to start saying no somewhere, and the children's museum is just one of the many places we have to start.
*
oh and by the way a bar is a privately funded business, the children's museum would be tax payer funded and the number of jobs that would be created would be very minimal so it wouldn't really affect the unemployment numbers here.
Aug 8, 2009 at 10:58 a.m.
Suggest removal
Exactly what I was thinking bobwood. Like comparing apples to oranges.... isn't it. Plus, you are talking about two different target audiences as well, unless the knew bar plans to be kid friendly and target children seeking new learning experiences. Ha!
Aug 8, 2009 at 10:56 a.m.
Suggest removal
JPAC was given money, the hockey team (privately owned) held the taxpayers hostage to their demands that the city spend money to upgrade the rink, etc. I have to agree, if this involved sports or something the adults would benefit from there would be more people for it than against it.
Aug 8, 2009 at 10:39 a.m.
Suggest removal
No money for a children's museum. We should be paying no extra money until the economy gets better and until our real estate appraisals are reduced to bring them in line with the real values of real estate in the area. Go ahead and increase my taxes, I say, but be honest about it. Don't increase my taxes by clinging on to real estate values that don't hold.
Aug 8, 2009 at 10:38 a.m.
Suggest removal
So what about the people that would GAIN jobs from the museum?? Its not gonna run itself.
Yes there is a ton of things for kids to do here but these are the things kids need so they stay out of trouble.
Im not the type of parent who tries to push my child away, have them ride their bike alone to the park , friends houses, etc..
I like to do activities WITH my child. Most people dont.
I dont have a problem driving farther to do things.
BUT its not fair that if another bar was brought into Janesville people would be happy.
But god forbid a museum, thats for learning!!!
Aug 8, 2009 at 9:37 a.m.
Suggest removal
No kidding this is crazy. Whating to build a musem in an area where nobody can find work and people are moving OUT of this city at an alarming rate.
This place would go the way of Del taco. Open for a little while then gone inthe middle of the night
Aug 8, 2009 at 9:22 a.m.
Suggest removal
sahmama -- If you want to take "your" kids to a children's museum they you wouldn't mind driving them 45 minutes in one of two directions to do so. You have that option available to you... Just how much are you going to contribute financially towards having one here? There is plenty to do right here with your kids.. so do what is here and drive them the 45 minutes to do the something else.
We can't afford yet another unnecessary thing.
Aug 8, 2009 at 8:27 a.m.
Suggest removal
chainsawchuckie - I believe I saw Willy Wonka playing hockey with the taxpayers money.
Aug 8, 2009 at 3:36 a.m.
Suggest removal
DiGriz: You're showing your young age. That "fish/bicyle" quote goes back to the 1960s and was something like, "A woman needs a man like a fish needs a bicycle." Still, it works no matter how it is used to make a point. Cheers.
Aug 7, 2009 at 11:19 p.m.
Suggest removal
At this time the taxpayers of Janesville are spending 70 millon plus on upgrading our schools. With many of the people without jobs having to move out of this area, we are not sure how many children we will lose in our school system. Also a lot of families that have school age children are barely making ends meet. We supply them with school supplies, breakfast, lunch and snacks at school on a daily basis. We all do this because we realize the great need in these families. We do care about the children in this community along with their families. Janesville will survive these next few years because we will all have to sacrifice for the needs of this city. The people with all the wants, not needs, will also have to sacrifice for the good of all. Our schools, parks, clean neighborhoods and people are a great draw for businesses when the economy finally picks up. Until then we have to be grateful for all we already have.
Aug 7, 2009 at 10:02 p.m.
Suggest removal
No, No, No!!!!
We need jobs, not more wasted taxpayer dollars!
Aug 7, 2009 at 7:21 p.m.
Suggest removal
Taking other people's money for projects you like is so 2007.
Aug 7, 2009 at 6:42 p.m.
Suggest removal
He's probably procreating so his objections to the children's museum won't be questioned.
Aug 7, 2009 at 6:06 p.m.
Suggest removal
where's Willy Wonka when you need him?
Aug 7, 2009 at 6:02 p.m.
Suggest removal
sahmama: I do have a child, but I can't afford things now, having my taxes raise isn't going to help. Sure if we get a kids museum with the economy here right now who could afford to go to it? I am already cutting back and I know I couldn't support one at this time...necessities come first, as is the same with many area residents during this depression...err I mean recession.
*
I have been to the one in Rockford in the past, it is nice...not sure if one here would be the draw that everyone keeps talking about or not. But right now is NOT the time for tax payers to spend money on a want...lets pay for the things we NEED first.
Aug 7, 2009 at 5:53 p.m.
Suggest removal
We DOOOO need something like this.
It will bring in Money!!!
The people who say we dont probably dont have kids. You guys arent the ones driving to Madison, Rockford, etc.. to take your kids to one.
Aug 7, 2009 at 5:51 p.m.
Suggest removal
I think people understand exactly what a children's museum is. I think they just can understand spending money in this economic environment on a project that isn't a must have right now.
Aug 7, 2009 at 5:34 p.m.
Suggest removal
Sure it would be nice, but not right now. We don't have money as it is to plow in the winter, or to mow the parks in the summer or repair streets and the list goes on.
*
I would say if the nonprofit group raises the money, applies for grants and whatnot, then let them fund it...but not the taxpayer...not in this economy.
Aug 7, 2009 at 5:22 p.m.
Suggest removal
Don't you people ever quit? Just like needing a hole in the head,we DON'T need it! NO $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
Before you post a comment, consider this:
Note: GazetteXtra.com does not condone or review every comment. Read more in our User Policy AgreementPost Comment
Commenting requires registration.