Homewood Museum hosts Harvest Ball bash

Last Saturday, Homewood Museum hosted the Harvest Ball, a fundraiser held to support a variety of programs at Hopkins. Members of the Carroll family, whose early American relatives lived in the former country house, were the primary sponsors of the Ball but an array of contributors gave donations and bought tables at the event.

The Harvest Ball is raising money for five projects around campus, including the Student Intern Program and a research database for the Homewood Museum.

“I felt strongly that the museum needed a signature event to raise funds and friends for the historic house and its ongoing preservation and many educational programs,” Homewood Museum Curator Catherine Rogers Arthur wrote in an email to The News-Letter.

“Rather than the ubiquitous silent auction, we tried something new by taking inspiration from Kickstarter and other donation-based crowd-funding tools,” Arthur wrote.

Their alternative was a ‘Pledge-a-Project’ table, where guests could pledge amounts on vouchers, which would be paid at the end of the night by cash or credit.

The Ball attracted about 200 guests.

“We were especially gratified to have in attendance several descendants of the Carroll family and of University alumnus Robert G. Merrick, who made possible the house’s restoration and opening as a museum in the 1980s and whose great-granddaughter serves as our board president, “Arthur said.

The guests in attendance donated $20,000 towards the Museum’s projects.

Volunteers for the Harvest Ball were sought through classes provided by the Museum and Society program. Arthur is teaching a class this semester called ‘Curating Homewood: A Tale of Two Houses’, and she asked her class for volunteers. Junior Eve Rosekind and senior Sydney Coates, two such volunteers, were busied checking coats and registering guests.

“I got to be the first to welcome the guests and see their glamorous black-tie or detailed period costume outfits,” Coates said.

Attendees were asked to wear 1800s evening attire, a tribute to what the Carrolls would have been wearing when they lived in the house.

“Some of the women even made their own dresses!” Rosekind said.

The Ball and its Fall Frolick after party included a variety of entertainment in the style of the era. The Baltimore Shakespeare Factory, for example, assumed characters and mingled with the guests.

“I also got to meet actors from the Shakespeare Company that livened up the night and entertained the guests during the cocktail hour and after-party, never breaking character,” Coates said.

The Ball also had dancing and art.

“During dinner, there was a performance by Chorégraphie Antique, the Dance History Ensemble of Goucher College, and we had a master scissor artist cutting silhouette portraits during much of the event – our vintage take on today’s photo booth. The cumulative effect of all these historically-inspired moments was truly enchanting and brought Homewood to life.” Arthur wrote.

The course that Arthur teaches is about two historic buildings on campus — Homewood and Clifton — and examines the importance of these building to the campus.

“The importance of the architecture has been recognized since the house was built and when the university moved to this campus they adopted the style of architecture for all of the other buildings on campus.”

The Homewood Museum opened in the 1980s and contains furnishings similar to what the country home would have looked like under the ownership of the Carroll family. Charles Carroll Jr., the head of the house, was a Maryland signer of the Declaration of Independence.

The class involves the students in the study and curation of Homewood.

“It’s a small, engaging class that culminates in a student-curated exhibit, which will be on display throughout the museum starting in early December, all the way through the Spring semester.” Coates said.

The Homewood Museum hosts an array of other events, two of which are coming up soon. “Homewood by Candlelight” is a holiday celebration on Dec. 9.

“The house is decorated for the holidays and looks spectacular. Music fills the spaces and refreshments are served.” Arthur wrote.

This event was the first of its kind, but it seems to have been successful.

“The Harvest Ball was a smashing success and we could not be more thrilled. We have enjoyed enthusiastic comments, and even blog posts from our wonderful guests and look forward to making this a biennial event,” Coates said.

Homewood Museum holds an important place in the history of the Homewood Campus.

“Homewood really is a hidden jewel on our campus, and students should take advantage of the events hosted during the school year,” Coates said.

For those who are curious, there are regular tours available for walk-ins, and there is an upcoming Monumental Baltimore Lecture series at the museum as well.