A crowd gathered outside the Catalina Island Museum Friday
night, Aug. 31, waiting to be the first to see the exhibition about
the life of William Wrigley, Jr. and his unique vision for Santa Catalina
Island.
Nearly 200 people attended the opening reception for
A Democratic Dream: William Wrigley, Jr. and
Catalina Island. Many in attendance spent time viewing the historic
photographs, vintage Wrigley gum ads and the video documentary about Wrigley
that was created by the museum. Patrons were heard saying they “didn’t realize
the extent of what Wrigley did for Catalina Island,” they were “impressed by
his marketing strategies and forward thinking,” and were “excited to learn more
about the man they thought they knew.”
“Over 600 people visited the museum during the opening weekend,” said
Dr. Michael De Marsche the museum’s Executive Director. “Successful exhibitions
like this demonstrate the importance of the museum to the island and its
visitors.”
Also in attendance for the opening reception were Steven Schreiner,
great-grandson of William Wrigley, Jr., and his family. Items from the family
were loaned to the museum for this exhibition.
“It is an honor and privilege to be a part of this family and to be
involved with this museum,” said Schreiner. “What they have done in this
exhibition is to bring William Wrigley, Jr. to life. It is absolutely fantastic
and I recommend that everyone go see it.”
This exhibition was curated by the Catalina Island Museum, and the
exhibition was drawn from the museum’s own impressive collection of photographs
and artifacts. In addition,
objects and photographs were loaned from the collections of the Chicago History
Museum, the archives of the Wm. Wrigley, Jr. Company and various private collections.
The
exhibition
A Democratic Dream: William
Wrigley, Jr. and Catalina Island runs through November 26, 2012.
The Catalina Island Museum is
Avalon’s sole institution devoted to art, culture and history. The museum, its digital theater and
store are located on the ground floor of Avalon’s historic Casino and are open
7 days a week, from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. For more information, the museum
may be reached by phone at 310-510-2414 or at its website: CatalinaMuseum.org.
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