From Michigan to Ohio – the Journey of the Ohio Egg N Art Show Written by Cleone Miller
(reprinted from the July 2018 issue of the International Egg Art Guild Magazine)
An Egg Club had been working together in Battle Creek, Michigan starting about 1965. They met to share ideas, designs, etc. and they called them selves The Eggateers. Mrs. Alta Pierce was the inspiration that collected the ladies and one gentleman together. I was listed as one of the 15 members in 1973.
On March 31 and April 1st of that year most of us attended my first Egg Show in Plymouth, Indiana sponsored by Mrs. Polly Showalter. She had a gift and miniature shop called Polly’s Playhouse,
My memory of that show was that I had just finished my first Ostrich egg with a replica of a maple sugar bush inside and a maple leaf hinged door. The eggs had been in the very cold car all night and when I tried to open the door, the egg popped off the base, bounced across the table and hit the floor on the other side – only a tiny crack! My husband’s memory is of something red and tasty looking on the relish tray that turned out to be pickled quail eggs. That same year we attended a small show in S.W. Michigan.
Mrs. Pierce and I talked after word about how enjoyable it was and maybe we could have one in our area.
We reserved the Ball Room at the Battle Creek Holiday Inn. I don’t remember how many invitations we sent out but the response was over whelming. We had so many tables sold and so crowded we had to crawl under the table to get behind our display. So many came to see the eggs the hotel was concerned about fire safety. We could only let 10 people in when 10 people went out.
The next year we moved the show to two gyms in the Harper Creek School with the Saturday night dinner back at the hotel. Alta had health problems so I became Director and continued for about the next 13 years.
After several years at the school we moved to a new hotel downtown Battle Creek that had an adjoining multi-use arena attached. It was a huge place -(long walk from one end to restrooms at he other end!). We had some problems there – one year we followed a horse show and there was a lingering aroma. Another year a Rock Band moved in on Sunday afternoon and started testing their sound equipment on the other side of a movable wall.
After the last show at the arena I retired because of family and work obligations.. There were two more shows in the Battle Creek area. One at the fair grounds in Kalamazoo and the other at a large restaurant in a truck stop just outside Battle Creek. It was now about 1989 and Mary Levergood of Detroit volunteered to become the director of the show and moved it to the Dearborn area. The show was held a various facilities in that area and was very successful. After many years Mary decided it was time for some one else to become the director.
Wilma Evans of Muncie, Indiana became the director, the Michigan Show became the East Central Indiana Egg Show. This was about 2006 or 2007. This show did not last very long, two shows in Muncie and one in Indianapolis. Ruth and Carl Jennings took the show to Ohio and it became the Eastern Ohio Show. After many years Diana Hite Neil and Dianne Collins took over the show and now Dani Fausek is the director of the Egg N Art Show in Ohio.
As I reminisce about this I am quite sure I would be the only Egg Artist that has participated in all of the shows: All in Michigan, all in Indiana, all in Ohio and plan to participate at this years Ohio Show as well.
