Granville museum 'SlaterDay' has slate on the brain

GRANVILLE, N.Y. (NEWS10) - The "Slate Valley" name has behind it a living history in the terrain of the Granville region. To celebrate the industry that brought its community together, the Slate Valley Museum has an event worthy of its namesake in store this weekend.

This Saturday, June 10, is the first "SlaterDay" of 2023. SlaterDay is a chance for visitors to the museum to engage in new ways with the role of slate in Granville's economy and history. Events run on the second Saturday of each month from June to October, and include talks on historic slate preservation, tours of artifacts, demos, painting, scavenger hunts, and more.

“Given that slate from the Slate Valley has been used on roofs for the industry’s entire 175+ history, it’s natural that we’d explore the stone’s use in historic preservation efforts,” said Slate Valley Museum Executive Director Sarah Kijowski. “There’s a real desire in many places and among homeowners and organizations to maintain the aesthetic of their 19th-century buildings. Many of these structures included slate elements – roofs and other applications – and that means slate is integral to restoration efforts.”

The topic changes for each SlaterDay. On June 10, historic preservation takes center stage. Shawn Camara of Fair Haven, Vermont-based Camara Slate Products will be part of the fun, sharing the experience his own company has had with handling slate.

SlaterDay also connects to the museum's "One Painting, Many Stories" exhibit, an ongoing feature on the 1939 mural "Men Working in Slate Quarry," painted by Martha Levy, which hangs inside the museum.

“As I followed my research further and further, I came to really understand how architecture helped set the stage for public art," said museum content researcher Bob Isherwood. "The Gilded Age, when places like Rough Point and other mansions in Newport and elsewhere were first built, was a critical moment in the historic arc of this story. This special SlaterDay event will help us explore this aspect of the exhibition more closely and help reinforce its connection to the industry right here in the Slate Valley.”

SlaterDay runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., with a 10:30 a.m. morning talk, 11:30 mini-tour and 1-4 p.m. slate splitting session. The museum's "Create the Slate!" program will run all day, giving visitors a chance to make and take home a unique slate craft. Admission to Slate Valley Museum is $5 for ages 12 to 64, $3 for those 65 and up, and free for kids under age 12.