Paul Szmal: And FLX Morning continues on Finger Lakes News Radio. It's 8.15. We've gone up a whole degree to 48, yay, under sunny skies. Kate Grindstaff joins us now here from the Seward House Museum. Kate, good morning. How are you this morning?
Kate Grindstaff: Good morning, Paul. I'm great. How are you?
Paul Szmal: Doing well. Doing well. We've got some fun activities that are coming up, including a Girl Scout event that is sort of by request, shall we say?
Kate Grindstaff: Yes, it is. Yes. So we have had Girl Scout days in the past, but they've always been for brownies and juniors. So more of that elementary, early middle school age group. But now we are hosting our first one that's going to be for cadets and seniors, which is going to be late middle school, early high school. And it's still going to be centered around Fannie Seward, who of course loved reading and writing. So this Girl Scout day is going to be focused on the book artist and novelist badges that both of those age groups can get. And we'll have to do a lot with bookbinding, creative writing, and we're even going to have a guest author come and speak to the girls. And that is going to be Trudy Krischer, who actually wrote the biography of Fannie Seward. So that's going to be on September 20th coming up. You can register through our Eventbrite. And then it's going to be 8.30 to 2 p.m. Free.
Paul Szmal: Wonderful. Sounds like it'll be an informative program. And then moving on, lunchtime lectures continue. The next one looks like it is coming up on September the 26th. Is that correct?
Kate Grindstaff: Yes. Yes, that is going to be a talk that is given by Shelly Clark Dolan, who is a former intern and also now a board member. She wrote her doctoral thesis on Francis. And now she is diving more into Lisette, Francis's sister, who is equally as fascinating and radical as Francis is. We just don't know. We typically don't talk about her as much on the tour. So for anybody who is interested, people always ask about Lisette. This is the talk to come to. It's called The Other Miller Girl, Lisette Warden, Quiet Conductor, and Lady of Pisgah. And that's going to be on the 26th at our usual lunchtime lecture time at noon. And of course, that is also free.
Paul Szmal: We're talking with Kate Grindstaff from the Seward House Museum here on FLX Morning on Finger Lakes Newsradio. Now, the topic of the next lunchtime lecture that comes up on October 2nd is not one that I was familiar with, although I am not surprised that William Seward himself had aspirations for political office.
Kate Grindstaff: Yes, yes. So this one is going to be given by one of our own volunteers, Sam Tamburo, who is also an Auburn attorney and historian. And he is going to be giving this talk of his own research that he has done that discusses Seward's quest for the presidency. So yes, he does run in 1860. He runs for a Republican nomination, and he is actually thought to be the top contender. But of course, we know this doesn't play out for various reasons. And of course, Abraham Lincoln secures that nomination, and things play out as they did. So it's a very interesting story, lots of twists and turns. So again, that will also be at noon here at the Seward House Event Center, free.
Paul Szmal: Yeah, that sounds like it will be a fascinating presentation to learn a little bit about the behind the scenes of what happened in the campaign leading up to Abraham Lincoln's nomination and eventual election as President of the United States.
Kate Grindstaff: Yes. And then the First Friday community events continue on October the 3rd. This time, there's going to be an art exhibit from one of the Skinny Atlas galleries coming in.
Paul Szmal: Yes, we're going to have a guest exhibit from the Barrow Gallery in Skinny Atlas. So we're very excited about that. And then of course, we're going to have our live music as well. In October, it's going to be an Odessa quartet. And we will also, as usual, have our rooms open and have food and drinks, probably some really, really nice fall foods and drinks. And that'll be very fun, five to seven. And again, that is another event that is free and open to the public, no registration required for that, right? You can just show up and partake?
Kate Grindstaff: Correct, yes.
Paul Szmal: Wonderful, wonderful. All right. The next thing we wanted to talk about here is a neat little presentation that is coming up. And I believe the first date on this, if I'm looking at the calendar correctly, is October the 17th. It is a dramatic performance. This is something a little different for the Seward House.
Kate Grindstaff: Yes. So we're very excited about this. This is the first time that we will be presenting this play. It's not the first time that we have done dramatic performances. We've done Shakespeare in the Gardens. We've had many live performances. And our own staff member, Maria Coleman, has often portrayed Fannie Seward in plays in the past, as well as Jack Sherman, who is our own Mr. Seward. He also is now a tour guide here at the Seward House. But they're going to be working together to do a two-person play. And that is going to be discussing the relationship between William Henry Seward and Olive Risley. And this is going to be fascinating, because this is another story we don't often talk about. But it is very, very interesting. Olive is the adopted daughter of William Henry Seward. She is adopted after Francis passes away, and also after Fannie passes away. And it kind of explores their trip around the world together, how she was a part of his final days, and then a little bit more about her own life and what she did afterwards. So it's a very fascinating story. Some people think that it was a romantic relationship. Some people think it was more a father-daughter relationship, with him doing what he always promised that he would do with Fannie before she died. And it's even more complicated than that.
Paul Szmal: Wow, it sounds like we're going to drill down to some pretty interesting stuff as part of this presentation, then.
Kate Grindstaff: Yes, yes, very much so. And that event takes place, by the way, at the Carriage House Theater. If you are a Seward House Museum member, it's $10. It's $15 for non-members. If you want to find out more about tickets, keep an eye on the website, which is SewardHouse.org.
Paul Szmal: SewardHouse.org. What's going on as far as any new and upcoming exhibits at the Seward House, Kate?
Kate Grindstaff: So we've got our current rotating exhibit that is actually going to soon be leaving, and that is going to be our Rooted in Reform. The Seward's relationship with Auburn prison and prison reform in the 1800s. So that is going to be closing up in December. So final few months, come and see it while you still can. And then we will be putting a brand new exhibit yet to be announced in that space, which we will open in our spring season for 2026.
Paul Szmal: Wonderful. Well, sorry, my tongue getting wrapped around my teeth here a little bit this morning. Kate, if people want to find out more information on upcoming events and stuff, again, the website is?
Kate Grindstaff: SewardHouse.org.
Paul Szmal: Yeah, go check it out. And again, ticket information for the next dramatic performance coming up there on October 17th, the first date for that. There are several dates that that presentation will take place, but ticket information will be forthcoming for you to get your tickets for that. Other than that, enjoy some of the free activities that are coming up here, including the first Friday community event and the lunchtime lecture series are always very informative and a great way to learn a little bit more and see a little bit of the Seward House Museum while you're there. Kate, thanks so much. Appreciate it as always.
Kate Grindstaff: Thank you, Paul. It is 825 on FLX morning.
