Cape May 5.31.2006

col.cm.5.31.25
So, Memorial Day Weekend has passed us by, and that means it’s officially bathing suit season in Cape May. If you’re anything like me, you might like to get a little exercise in before making a grand entrance at the beach. If that is the case, Cape May Recreation Department has two upcoming programs you should take advantage of.
***
Starting June 5, the Cape May Recreation Center is sponsoring kickboxing classes on Mondays at 6:15 p.m. at the Franklin Street Civic Center. On Tuesdays and Thursdays at 6 p.m. starting June 6, they are hosting a Beginners Mat Pilates class, also at the Franklin Street Civic Center. Be sure to wear comfortable clothing and bring along two towels.
For more information call Cape May Recreation at 884-9565.
***
I know I mentioned the “A Feeling of Community: Segregation and Education on Cape Island, 1860-1954” exhibit in this column a few times while it was being displayed in the Carriage House over at the Physick Estate.
Now, I’m pleased to let you know that if you missed seeing it there, you have another chance to see this thought-provoking exhibit, which is now on display at the West Cape May Borough Hall through Labor Day.
The exhibit contains artifacts, photographs, and excerpts from oral histories gathered by the Center for Community Arts’s Community History Program over the last ten years.
Sections of the exhibit focus on two girls who grew up in West Cape May, Mary Cordelia Howard (Bounds) and Janet Eldredge (Vance), who went to school in adjacent, racially segregated elementary schools and graduated first and second in their Cape May High School class of 1929.
Other individuals featured include William J. Moore, superintendent of the segregated West Cape May elementary school, and Emily Dempsey, a current resident of West Cape May, co-founder of CCA, and alumnus of the segregated Franklin Street School in Cape May.
For further information, please visit centerforcommunityarts.org or call 884-7525.
***
Speaking of exhibits, there’s a new one up at the Physick Estate’s Carriage House Gallery.
The latest installation is “Back to the Fifties,” which focuses on popular culture of the 1950s, including family lifestyle, cars, music, movies and more, and show how that culture connects with furnishings and architectural design.
Using artifacts from Wildwood’s Doo Wop Preservation League and private collections, “Back to the Fifties” illustrates the rollicking Doo Wop era with pieces from living room settings to kitchens to a collection of ’50s television sets.
Photos of Wildwood motels will show the distinctive architecture of the period, with its angular design elements, space-age imagery, tropical themes and colors, and spectacular neon signage. It’s sure to be a fun step back in time, and a startling contrast to Cape May’s Victoriana, too.
Sponsored by the Mid-Atlantic Center for the Arts (MAC), “Back to the Fifties” runs through September 3. The gallery is open daily; hours vary. Admission is $2 for adults and $1 for children (ages three-12) or free with any tour of the Emlen Physick Estate.
For more information or gallery hours, call 884-5404 or visit www.capemaymac.org.
***
The Kiwanis Club of Cape May is hosting their 16 Annual Craft Show on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Cape May Convention Hall.
There is no admission charge and all proceeds benefit the scholarship and charitable programs for our community. I hope you’ll stop by and support this excellent cause.