They’re going bananas over sock monkeys at the Museum of Art
A trio of sock monkeys, plus a sock kangaroo.
Different styles of sock monkeys on display at the Lancaster Museum of Art.
Two sock monkeys and a sock horse.
By Laura Knowles
Published Nov 09, 2006 13:25
It’s enough to make you grin right back.
Go ahead, because the sock monkeys have arrived at the Lancaster Museum of Art for a month-long visit during the museum’s annual Trees Galore! exhibit.
“The reaction we seem to get from the sock monkeys is sheer delight,” says Cindi Morrison, museum director.
As Morrison notes, monkeys are very popular these days as a motif. Think of storybook Curious George and Paul Frank’s Julius the Monkey who graces teen clothing.
Monkeys are hot, and the sock moneys have the added charm of being comfort toys made by grandmas everywhere. Like Raggedy Anns or Teddy bears, sock monkeys are a gentle reminder of the good old days when toys were soft and simple and snuggly.
Morrison and her staff got the idea for a sock monkey exhibit after seeing an exhibit in Baltimore that had a sock monkey-making workshop. So, along with the 30-some sock monkeys on display — not for sale — families and kids can stop by to make their own sock monkeys or purchase a sock monkey kit from the museum store.
Interestingly, you can’t make a sock monkey out of any old pair of socks. It has to be a pair of red heel socks, made by the Nelson Knitting Co, in Rockford, Ill., since 1890. The red heel is what produces that great big monkey grin, contrasted with the tweedy charcoal-and-white knit of the work socks.
The familiar sock monkey is a tribute to American thrift and ingenuity. It became a part of childhood in 1953, when the Nelson Knitting Co. registered its design for turning a pair of socks into a stuffed toy. Since then the sock monkey has been interpreted by generations of home sewers. (The socks are now made by Fox River Mills in Iowa, which purchased Nelson Knitting.)
Almost everyone thinks sock monkeys are adorable, with an occasional reaction that they look a little “creepy.” OK, well, maybe a little nerdy.
There is even a permanent sock monkey exhibit at the Midway Village & Museum Center in Rockford and at the Red Heel Monkey Shelter in Ashville, N.C., where hundreds of sock monkeys reside in cozy comfort. They’re not up for adoption, although the mini collection at Lancaster Museum of Art is on loan from the “shelter.”
During the exhibit, the museum is presenting sock monkey-making classes for kids, teens and families. Bring your old, clean socks, and learn how to make your own sock monkey. The fee for the class is $30 per person. Classes are scheduled for Saturday, Dec. 9 and Saturday. December 16. Register early, since class size is limited.
The museum store also has sock monkey kits, memorabilia and the book Sock Monkey Dreams: Daily Life at the Red Heel Monkey Shelter by Whitney Shroyer, Letitia Walker and photographed by Michael Traiser.
And don’t miss the “forest” for the sock monkeys. The Trees Galore! Exhibit features works of art — not necessarily all about trees — created exclusively for the museum by well-known local and regional artists.
Artwork is available for purchase through sale and silent auction during the run of the exhibition, with proceeds going to support the museum’s exhibition and education programs.
The exhibit will also feature holiday ornament displays by several regional school and home-school students.
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