Note: I drafted this blog in Aberdeen June 11, only to learn of Sally Wagner’s death on the drive home. I didn’t have the heart at the time to express excitement about our convention under the weight of that news. But the draft is still here, I’ve managed to absorb Sally’s death, and the convention rolls on. So I decided to go ahead and share it as a little sliver of my time planning our convention.
Jane Albright here. I had a carload of Oz art to drive to Aberdeen, so booked a few nights at the Quality Inn where our rooms are reserved in July, and headed north.
I was fortunate to arrive early enough Sunday evening to spend some time on the Yellow Brick Road. Expanded and improved since I was last there more than 20 years ago, it was a treat to enjoy this interactive Oz experience. And the gift shop is full of Oz! I loaded two bags.
Monday morning I stopped at the hotel’s breakfast buffet (scrambled eggs and sausage) then drove to the K.O. Lee Library. I met with Cara Perrion to see our meeting space options, and spend some time gasping at treasures in the library’s L. Frank Baum Collection. Then it was off to unload.
The Aberdeen Recreation and Cultural Center is across the street from the library in a remodeled and expanded historic high school. The campus now boasts 178,000-square-feet of office and activity space for the community. A 55×30 foot art gallery on the ground level transformed over the next few days into the Eclectic Art exhibit of original art and signed prints from my Oz collection. An area on the second floor with a stage will transform into our evening event space for Friday and Saturday nights.
That evening I had a wonderful visit to Easton Castle, a private home we’ll see Saturday morning on our tour. Built as an impressive residence for the Bliss family while Baum was in Aberdeen, the exterior was later covered in yellow brick, giving it a castle-like facade. Baum mentioned the residence in the Pioneer, and particularly admired the private library on the second floor. It’s been in the Holman family since 1967. The daughters who grew up in it still live there today and have fond memories of Matilda Jewel Gage’s visits to the home.
By Tuesday (cheese omelettes and ham) the gallery staff had matters there well in hand, so I was off to meet with the caterer, a local reporter and the gallery’s social media content provider. I also got a detailed tour of our evening space and crossed dozens of questions off my list. I stopped to arrange a case of books in the gallery that represent books in which art on display has been published.
Later that afternoon I met with our tour guide to work on the path we’ll follow to 
see area sites from Baum’s day. I attempted to find a few myself later, and can only say I’m glad we’ll have a bus driver. Aberdeen numbers both streets that go north and south and streets that run east and west leaving you staring at the sign on an intersection of 2nd St. and 2nd Ave, wondering where on earth you’re supposed to go. If only the Scarecrow had been there to point me in the right direction.
Wednesday (biscuits and gravy) put me on track to the Convention and Visitors bureau. The staff there is making our name tags and providing us with bags of Aberdeen literature. Except I wanted more, so stopped at the Dakota Prairie Museum and returned to both the library and Storybook Land to pick up additional fliers.
With a last check-in at the gallery and call to the company to confirm our 56-passenger air conditioned bus with a PA system, it was time to head back to Kansas City.
