Once again, the Margaret Harwell Art Museum’s Cork + Fork dinner has delighted patrons and local arts. The return of the iconic “Driftwood Mule” statue to the Friends Sculpture Garden brought another reason for guests to celebrate.
The “Driftwood Mule” was vandalized in the spring. Its head was detached and several wooden components were broken. Between the insurance deductible and the city, museum director Steve Whitworth said $3,000 was paid to its creator, Rachel Wilson, to fix it. The restored artwork went back on display late in September.
“I always look for the good that comes out of things. Now the head is restored, looks better than ever, and ... she did some shoring up of the body so it’s in better shape,” Whitworth said.
He added Wilson’s rising stature in the art world also makes the piece more valuable than ever.
Whitworth estimated there were around 100 attendees at the Sept. 30 banquet, bringing in $8,000 in profits from sponsorships and ticket sales. This is “as good as or maybe a little better” than previous years, he noted.
“It’s great to get some money built up in case something should happen or a great need arises — the city has a downturn, or whatever,” he said. “It at all helps to build a pool of funds that we can use to keep the museum going into the future, and it’s all very important.”
Cork + Fork also brings people together for networking and a general good time. One of Whitworth’s favorite aspects of the event is watching people connect, which mirrors the museum’s goal of fostering relationships with communities, artists and other museums.
“That really puts Poplar Bluff on the map, to have an art museum and all the connections you can foster,” he said.
Whitworth thanked the Friends of MHAM for organizing the banquet and their continual care of the Sculpture Garden: Laura Dowd, Grace Blaich, Marty Harlan, Mary Ann Allen, Michael Bliss, David and Nancy Boyer, Clinton Salyer, Alice Shelton, Jordan Worley and Tad Long.
“There’s just a great, great bunch of people,” he said.
Cork + Fork’s dinner hour was held in the Episcopal Church of the Holy Cross and catered by Tasteful Creations. Live music was provided by Megan Johnson.
MHAM’s next exhibit is the 70th Annual Poplar Bluff Artists Guild Juried Regional Art Exhibit. Take-in day is Oct. 28 and the opening reception is 1-4 p.m. Nov. 5. More information is available at mham.org.