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Carousel museum hopes high art means higher attendance

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By BRANDI BARHITE
brandibarhite@sanduskyregister.com

SANDUSKY - The new 2006 exhibit at the Museum of Carousel Art and History features the work of premier carver Daniel Muller.

"He is the carver of carvers," said Karen Mears, curator at the Sandusky museum. "When people think of premier carvers, he comes to mind."

Unlike some woodcarvers who were simply skilled, Muller also was artistic, Mears said.

He carved deeper and with greater detail than most carvers. Muller's horses are featured on two of Cedar Point's carousels.

"He doesn't do plain animals. Look at the buckles," said museum director Vicki Vanden Bout. "He puts in an incredible amount of details when other carvers kept it simple."

Last year, attendance at the museum was down to 17,000, likely because of the struggling economy, Mears said. Every year, the museum aims for about 25,000.

Vanden Bout said this exhibit has attracted attention since debuting March 1.

Visitors to the museum in January came back in March for the Muller exhibit, she said.

"There is a lot of excitement for this exhibit," Vanden Bout said.

The exhibit, called "Daniel Muller: Caroussels of High Artistic Merit," features eight of Muller's original wooden horses, many dating back to around 1910. Replicas of his work are also on display in the museum's lobby.

Muller's father, Johann, began this family's rich carousel legacy with his friend, Michael Dentzel, whose son, Gustav, also became one of America's premier carousel wood carvers.

Each of the carvers spelled "carousel" differently, Vanden Bout said.

This is the 16th year for the museum, and for most part, a new exhibit is introduced every year.

Mears is in charge of getting the exhibit, which includes calling collectors and asking them to loan their horses. Vanden Bout said the museum doesn't pay to borrow the animals, just for the shipping.

She estimates the Muller exhibit costs about $20,000. The museum's yearly operating budget is $250,000-$300,000, she said. Grants, donations, ticket sales and gift shop revenue cover the cost.

"We barely get one in and we are working on the next," Vanden Bout said of the time it takes for exhibits.

"We have a planning committee to come up with ideas that have never been done before, what people want to see and what is feasible, Mears said.

"It is getting harder and harder to get a collector to loan out a piece," she said. "People think they are the only person who can take care of it."

Vanden Bout said people look forward to the new exhibit each year. Many people are repeat visitors, she said.

Hours are 11-5 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday, and noon-5 p.m. Sunday, March through Memorial Day. Summer hours are 10-5 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and noon-5 p.m. Sunday. Admission is $5 for adults; $4 for seniors; and $3 for children. A carousel ride is included with admission to the museum.

The 2006 season

• Aug. 26 -- Toast of Ohio Wine Festival

• Sept. 9 -- The 11th Annual Woodcarvers Show

• Oct. 1 -- America's Follies, Sept. 20

• Nov. 4-5 -- American Girl Fashion Show

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