Upper Valley Historical Society operates the local Greater Leavenworth Museum in its beautiful new downtown Leavenworth location. UVHS recently received Icicle Fund support to update their Collection Management System from inefficient spreadsheets and binders to a new software application system of automated and efficient cataloging and tracking of original and digitized photos, artifacts, and archival items. The new system will allow members and visitors to view archival scanned images at a collection Research Station. “Implementing a professional archival management system has been a team effort involving many volunteer hours, new learnings, head-scratching, and, ultimately, the realization that this museum will have all of its valuable artifacts documented and accessible for current and future generations. We are excited about the possibilities!” Margaret Neighbors, UVHS Board Member

Dangerous Women is a diverse collective of female (and some male) artists based in the center of Washington State. They bring the forgotten or repressed histories of remarkable women and feminine archetypes to life on stage. The performers, writers and crew are risk takers and leaders. Pooling their talents, they present original productions that utilize a rainbow of art forms including dance, visual art, spoken word and music. The productions, staged every other year, are designed to entertain and enlighten individuals and community. Dangerous Women’s goal is to empower all people regardless of race, gender or political persuasion.

The Ripple Foundation's Elder Speak program mission is to guide Elders to awareness of their wisdom and the value of their life experience. The Elder Speak vision is to provide tools that help the Elders bring this vital and transferable Elder wisdom into their family and community. This provides families and communities a broader base to stand on, a deeper strength to lean into, and more resiliency and understanding among its members.

Icicle Fund is proud to support The Ripple Foundation’s upcoming manual and companion film to be released in 2022 that will outline the Elder Speak Experience as a guidebook to be used by communities. The manual will contain the structure of the program, the experience of discussions, wisdom worksheets and the Elders journey to wisdom. It will provide the tools to connect wisdom with family and younger generations. The companion film will support and demonstrate the depth of the Elder Speak Experience and how profoundly it impacts community.

Methow Valley Interpretive Center’s mission is to foster cultural awareness and understanding of Indigenous peoples and the natural history of the Methow Valley and Upper Columbia region through education, interpretation, creative expression and cross-cultural connections.

MVIC’s success story in the fall of 2019 was a harvest celebration that they helped organize at the newly “Homestream Park” in Winthrop. This celebration focused specifically on a “Coming Home” ceremony for salmon returning to the Methow River. This was a partnership with the Methow Conservancy, the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation (CCT), and many other groups and individuals. A group from the CCT Language School erected a tule mat lodge, the first erected in the Methow Valley in a very long time. This part of the celebration was recorded on film. There was Native American ceremony, first foods, native sculptures and more than 200 people attended. The power of Native Americans and white settlers gathering together like this to honor salmon, first peoples, traditions, and place is still reverberating through this valley today.

WVMCC has been busy! Check out this recent exhibit and progr https://my.matterport.com/show/?m=H7cEPKKHZyd am below.

Raising our Voice: Empowering Women

Virtual Tour Available at: https://my.matterport.com/show/?m=H7cEPKKHZyd

Women won their right to vote in the United States 100 years ago. Much has changed since then. This exhibit educated and celebrated women’s voices, featuring a historic synopsis of women’s suffrage in the State along with the 90th anniversary show of Women Painters of Washington. We were honored to host this celebration of the female voice. Icicle Fund was proud to support this beautiful exhibit.

The Waterville Empire-Press: December 29, 1983

The Douglas County Museum is located in downtown Waterville and holds many archeological and historical treasures from the area. Recent support from the Icicle Fund enabled the purchase of a photo scanner and related equipment. Photographs and paper documents deteriorate easily over time, becoming extremely fragile and digital copies of them can extend their life indefinitely. An Icicle Fund grant also helped purchase an air filtering system that increased the level of comfort in opening the Museum in the COVID environment and the expense normally would have been a luxury not easily to afford.

For more information and to see some photos visit the Douglas County Museum’s Facebook page or take a trip and visit them in downtown Waterville.