Night at the Museum
Czech Heritage Museum to start new series of community fun
Susan Chandler, the Czech Heritage Museum curator who died unexpectedly Sept. 4, demonstrates the magic gambler machine last summer at the museum. The SPJST Foundation, which oversees the museum, is raising money for an annual scholarship to a high school senior in Susan’s honor. Twelve paintings by renowned artist Lisa Chase will be auctioned online and the proceeds will assist in funding the scholarship. David Stone photo
DAVID STONE | TEMPLE DAILY TELEGRAM
Night at the Museum, a new community engagement series at the Czech Heritage Museum, will kick off April 13 and continue on the second Thursday of each month at least through August.
The event will run from 5 p.m. to about 7:30 p.m. and is free to the public.
“This is a new monthly series — a chance for the community to connect and network,” said Brian Vanicek, president of the SPJST Foundation and SPJST Fraternal Life Insurance. “We’re testing the waters for five months, but we hope to make it a regular event.”
The SPJST Foundation has taken over the operations of the museum and is planning several events designed to give the facility a community center feel.
“We want to break the mold of the dusty old museum,” Vanicek said. “We want the Czech Heritage Museum to be a relevant part of the Temple community. We’d like to host performances, competitions, beer and wine tastings and outdoor activities.”
Two well-known Central Texas businesses — Ratibor Country Grill and Mikeska Distributing — will be providing food and drink for the inaugural Night at the Museum event. Future celebrations will be on May 11, June 8, July 13 and August 10, and businesses interested in sponsoring a gathering should contact Vanicek at vanicek@spjst.com.
“If your business, civic or cultural organization, church or school group is working to make a positive difference in Temple, you are invited,” he said. “Likewise, if you’ve got a project to promote and share, this is your time to spread the word. We’ll have an open mic for you to promote your activities.”
Popular Central Texas artist Lisa Chase will present a collection of 12 paintings that will be sold during an online auction during the month of April. Proceeds from the auction will go toward a newly created memorial scholarship in honor of Susan Chandler, the museum’s curator and director who died unexpectedly on Sept 4.
“Susan had been working to establish a local advisory team consisting of moving and shakers from Temple’s business and civic communities,” Vanicek said. “The Foundation is raising funds to endow a scholarship for a high school senior to honor Susan’s memory. We’ve already collected $5,000, but we want this to be an ongoing scholarship to continue to honor her work and memory for years to come.”
The advisory team has been reestablished and is already making a positive difference, Vanicek said.
“Over the past few months, quite a few things have changed at the museum,” he said. “Most notably, the oversight of the museum, which previously rested in the hands of the Czech Heritage Museum & Genealogy Center board, has been transferred to the SPJST Foundation. Kenny Lange, who has been at the museum for years, is the building manager and curator.”
Not to be confused with SPJST Fraternal Life Insurance, the SPJST Foundation is an independent non-profit organization that provides assistance to projects, especially work that braces the Czech heritage and culture.
Vanicek said a Czech beer and wine tasting is in the works, and he would like to host performances by local theater groups and UIL theater teams.
“They could perform an excerpt or snippet of a show to promote it to the community,” he said.
One of the group’s members is RVOS Corporate Secretary Jamie Smith, whose organization will be hosting the state’s first Czech-American Heritage Run — a 5K walk and run on Oct. 7 that will support the Temple museum.
The Czech Heritage Museum is open Thursday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and on Sunday by appointment only.
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