Hello fellow readers! Today is Featured Friday and we have two upcoming events and an HDM contest we’d like to highlight.
The first is happening this weekend at COSI Columbus.
200Columbus Family Weekend at COSI Columbus
Saturday, February 10th 11am-3:30pm
Sunday, February 11th 1pm-4:30pm
COSI celebrates Columbus’ bicentennial by exploring what life was like when Columbus was founded. Actors in period costumes, old-fashioned games and toys, and craft activities will bring Columbus history to life. Learn more about Columbus history with special activities provided by the Columbus Historical Society, Columbus Metropolitan Library, The Fair at New Boston, Franklinton Historical Society, Hidden Dirk Mercantile, Metro Parks, WOSU, and on Sunday only, the Times Past Vintage Dancers.
Present a 200Columbus Days flyer to receive $2 off COSI admission: www.200columbusdays.com
Not only is COSI Columbus a super fun place for a day of family adventure anyway – but this weekend we’ll be on-hand with Hidden Dirk Mercantile at the 200Columbus event with our game and make-n-take stations! Kids (and kids young-at-heart) can play games they would have played in the 18th century and early-Regency era and make their very own reticule (an 1800’s version of a purse) or marble bag to take home!
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We’re also pleased to announce our 200Columbus COSI Challenge!
Kids 0-9 are invited to send in an illustration and brief caption highlighting some of the things they learned about the early 1800s (1800-1820) during the 200Columbus Family Weekend at COSI Columbus. Participants 10 and older are invited to write a 100-500 word essay on the same topic. (they can include illustrations too, if they’d like!)
Both age categories can send in their contest submissions to hiddendirk(at)hiddendirk.com by March 1, 2012. Voting will take place on our Facebook page the second week of March and a winner from each age category will be announced March 9th. Winners from each age category will be featured here on the HDM blog, on our website and Facebook page as well as our monthly educational e-newsletter. In addition, they’ll each receive a $10 HDM gift card to spend on their choice of all sorts of goodies at hiddendirk.com including toys, games, clothes and more!
We look forward to seeing all the wonderful entries!
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The second upcoming event is a presentation from the historical production company We’ve Known Rivers. Hidden Dirk Mercantile was so very honored to outfit Ms. Sandra Quick for her Phillis Wheatley interpretation. 
We hope you can join her at the following event:
We’ve Known Rivers
Phillis Wheatley: Finding Her Voice
Tuesday, Feb. 14
12:00 pm Ohio State House
Phillis Wheatley: Finding Her Voice
Gifted, privileged, yet enslaved, Wheatley pens the first volume of poetry published by an African-American during the American Revolutionary era.
Some background information on Ms. Quick and her programs:
I was privileged, for 30 years, to offer my teaching gifts and talents to the children of Columbus (OH) Public Schools and other Ohio schools as a teacher, High School Principal and Supervisor. I taught English, drama and speech, and directed several student productions. I performed in several community and faith-based productions. I have a BSED in comprehensive communications and Master of Arts in Urban Education.
Since retirement, I developed my premier first person historical character based on Phillis Wheatley. The Finding Her Voice script is predicated on the national trend towards making a difference and social justice advocacy. I developed the curriculum for, instructed in, and performed for the 2010 Ohio State University African and African-American Studies summer residential program, ”letz b dwn”.
I have been a featured performer for The State of Ohio’s Black History Month celebration February 2010 and 2011. I am slated to expand that performance for 2012. At The Fair at New Boston, an authentic 18th re-enactment fair in Springfield,Ohio, I performed Phillis Wheatley: Finding Her Voice in 2010 and 2011. I also participate in Education Day where over 1,000 students travel back to the 1850’s to interact and experience life in its natural habitat. In addition to these performances, I frequently perform for the Children’s Defense Fund’s Freedom Schools in Columbus,Ohio and other schools, private and public organizations and Chautauquas.
I am a proud founding member of the production company, We’ve Known Rivers®: Timeless Stories in the Black Experience along with Dr. Annette Jefferson and Mr. Anthony Gibbs. I developed and instructed a Live It UP! Props, Prompts and Photos workshop to help others develop their living history character by making history come alive! I am privileged to be invited to teach Our History Awakens this workshop at the prestigious National Black Theatre Festival in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.
I recently founded my personal theatre business, Our History Awakens® with the mission, “Commemorating the African-American Experience in American Revolutionary and Civil War Eras through Living History Performances and Engaging Educational Activities”.
Contact info: Sandra Quick
614.270.0848 ourhistorywakens@gmail.com
Facebook.com/weveknownrivers www.ourhistoryawakens.com
We hope you are able to participate in these wonderfully fun and educational events! Drop us a line and let us know – were able to make it? What new thing did you learn?
hiddendirk 