THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, December 16, 1994 TAG: 9412140170
SECTION: PORTSMOUTH CURRENTS PAGE: 10 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Cover Story
SOURCE: BY IDA KAY JORDAN, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Long : 106 lines
THE DEBUT OF the Children's Museum of Virginia turned into a major social event for Portsmouth.
Pre-opening parties Wednesday and Thursday nights before the official opening Saturday were the city's way of saying thank you to major donors, museum supporters and those who worked on the project.
Mayor Gloria Webb and Vice Mayor Johnny Clemons, joined at times by other City Council members and City Clerk Sheila Pittman, stayed at the door to greet the guests.
Gene George, a senior citizen and lifelong resident of Portsmouth, was ecstatic as she spoke to Mayor Webb.
``We had the best time,'' George gushed. ``This is not just for children.''
About 500 people turned out Wednesday and another 250 Thursday.
The partygoers cut across the city and the region. Hundreds of them took the advice of the invitation and wore tennis shoes with their party attire.
The mayor wore high tops and former Fine Arts Commission chairman Jean Oast had black tennis shoes with red flowers painted on them to match her dress. Even Councilman Ward Robinett wore sneakers with his tuxedo.
``This is first class,'' exclaimed another former Museum and Fine Arts Commission chairman, Dave Stuart.
Then, he thought a minute and added, ``Better make that world class.''
STEVE PERRY, A consultant who formerly was administrator of the Children's Hospital of The King's Daughters, said the Children's Museum in Portsmouth is as good as Chicago, Boston and New York.
``It's right up there with the best,'' said Perry, who attended one of the pre-opening parties with Museum commissioner Judy Bray.
Perry said the relationship between children and parents is enhanced by participating together in a museum trip.
``The most wonderful thing to come out of this is the opportunity for children to express themselves with their parents,'' he said. ``It's sharing and playing together.''
BILL GREAVES OF Virginia Beach, architect for the museum, was not a stranger to the concept when he took on the job.
He said he has a picture of his two sons taken at the original Children's Museum in the public library basement about 14 years ago. Keith, then 4 years old, and Eric, then 2, have not seen the new museum.
``When Keith gets home for the holidays, I want to bring them over here to take another picture,'' Greaves said.
MARTHA ANN FORTSON, one of the Portsmouth Service League members who started the museum 15 years ago, also is eager to get her children to the new museum during the holidays.
Bob, now 21, and Anna Kathryn, now 18, were among the kids who inspired the exhibits.
``I remember we asked Bob to sit down and draw us a picture of the city, when we were thinking about exhibits,'' Fortson said. ``We wanted to see what a 6-year-old would put in it.''
Bob included Trinity Church, the downtown YMCA and Kmart as parts of his city.
Even with 60 new exhibits, many of them high-tech, the kids still gravitate to ``The City'' with its real police motorcycle and fire engine and to the updated ``Bubbles'' exhibit.
THE PARTIES GAVE grown up children-at-heart a chance to play.
Tidewater Community College Provost Larry Whitworth and TCC information officer Bill Candler attracted a cheering crowd as they raced across the ``Rock Climb.'' Both of them finished the course, which is more than many adults were able to achieve.
THE MOUNTED PATROL horses kept watch over Middle Street Mall during the celebration.
Late Thursday night they were rewarded for their patience.
Sally Craig went back and snitched a bunch of grapes from the refreshment tables for them.
CITY COUNCILMAN CAMERON Pitts was buffaloed by the ``Pole Puzzle,'' an oversize version of a brain-teaser. After failing to solve it at a pre-opening reception, he came back Saturday saying he had a vision in the night of how to make the puzzle work. His vision, however, was only half the solution.
In the end, it took State Sen. Fred Quayle, Vice Mayor Clemons and Pitts to figure out a puzzle that's a snap for children.
THE YOUNGEST VISITOR for Saturday's opening was Alexander Paulus, three weeks old.
Alexander is the son of Jerry Paulus of Washington, one of the exhibit fabricators. ``When he gets older, we'll be telling him about this,'' Paulus said. ILLUSTRATION: Color photo on cover
The new children's Museum of Virginia opens its doors
Staff photos by MARTIN SMITH-RODDEN
In the ``You & Me'' exhibit, Matthew Guise, 5, looks at the faces of
the interchangable expressions that kids can spin around to learn
about cultural diversity.
Lakia Holley, 12, pulls up a hoop that encloses her in a giant
bubble.
A child runs off the slide in the ``play space'' area of the new
museum.
Photo by GARY C. KNAPP
The black tie affair at the opening of the Children's Museum
included wearing whimsical tennis shoes.
by CNB