January 11, 2005

Dear Friend of Viktor Schreckengost:

I am writing to enlist your help on a project that has quickly grown to an event of national proportions.

The Viktor Schreckengost National Centennial Exhibition began with the seemingly impossible goal of securing 100 exhibitions to display Vik’s work during the spring of 2006 in honor of his hundredth birthday. Response has been so enthusiastic that we have passed the initial goal of 100 simultaneous shows.

This is an important milestone but we have learned something in the process: the Viktor Schreckengost story is more national in nature than we originally thought. His is truly an American story. We have come to believe that Vik is only properly represented by having a show in each of the fifty states. This represents a significant extension of our original objective. While we are close to realizing this goal, there are several states that we have not yet finalized.

Will you help us complete this tribute to Vik? On the map to the right, the states in red have not yet been finalized, the yellow ones are close, and the green ones are ready to go. In the red and yellow states, the dots mark locations with which we have had some preliminary contact but are not yet confirmed.

Please contact us if:

• You know someone at the locations we have already identified in the red or yellow states,
• Know where some of Vik’s work is held or displayed that is not marked on the map, or
• Think of a venue that might like to participate.

Details

To participate, a venue can either display a Schreckengost of their own or provide space for one or a few pieces. Remember, many of the shows are not in museums: historic sites, visitor’s centers, concert halls and even restaurants, barbershops, and front yards are a part of the Schreckengost story. Schreckengost pedal cars, dinnerware, metal sculpture, paintings, bicycles, ceramics, flashlights, fans, cabinets,…(click for more of Vik's creations) all qualify as show material.

Many venues that are now participating initially thought that this exhibition required what others have: lots of resources. This show requires very little time, very little money, and very little space. We can help as questions arise.

Vik will be glad to know you are involved. He is excited to see all of this come together.

Please call, email, or write with your ideas and forward this to friends you think might be able to contribute.

Thank you for helping us put the icing on this very important birthday cake.

Chip Nowacek
Executive Director
216.321.8936 (ask for Meghan when you call )
2289 Stillman Road, Cleveland Hts, OH 44118
chip@viktorschreckengost.org