Heritage Museum will pull out the stops at upcoming gala

Published 1:30 am Wednesday, April 5, 2023

On April 22, the Vashon Heritage Museum will present “Celebrating Our Heritage,” a gala evening of interactive history, art and entertainment, at Open Space For Arts and Community.

The gala is centered around a remarkable historical document — “It’s Vashon Isle,” a radio broadcast from 1926, created by P. Monroe Smock, that served as one of radio’s first known examples of an infomercial, promoting the wonders of Vashon and inviting others to visit and move to the island.

Smock was the owner, editor and publisher of the Vashon Island News Record from 1921 to 1928.

At the gala, longtime Voice of Vashon (VoV) radio stalwart Jeff Hoyt, will be joined by other special guests to present an abridged performance of Monroe’s script for the infomercial — a program that Hoyt will expand to a full radio broadcast for VoV in October.

The script was unearthed by islander Mike Sudduth, Smock’s grandson. Sudduth is a Heritage Museum board member and avid historian of his family and Vashon.

To add to the evening’s enjoyment, guests will be entertained by The Dusty 45s, an Americana band that has fired up crowds for over two decades with their high-octane style and sound.

Led by charismatic singer/songwriter, guitarist and trumpeter, Billy Joe Huels, the band’s songs draw inspiration from the roots of rock, rhythm and blues, honky-tonk and jazz. Huels is known for his portrayal of Buddy Holly at Seattle’s 5th Avenue Theatre — a role he recently reprised in Vashon Drama Dock’s 2022 production, of “Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story,” at Vashon Center of the Arts.

In addition to Hoyt’s radio presentation and the music of The Dusty 45s, there will be delectable eats at the event, inspired by Roaring Twenties recipes from Chef Chantel Jackson, of Thyme Well Spent Catering.

Another island history enthusiast, Tom Langland, will curate top-selling cocktails of the Prohibition era, and a speakeasy-inspired bar will feature wines by Andrew Will and beer from Camp Colvos Brewery.

At the event, attendees will also have the opportunity to pursue curated displays from the Museum’s collection — including archival prints of Vashon’s strawberry field pickers, classrooms, historic roads, and coastlines from that time. Vintage clothing, a 1920s car, and other memorabilia will provide a background for festive photo ops.

Proceeds from the evening will go to support the operations of the award-winning museum. Last year, Vashon Heritage Museum was awarded a 2022 National Endowment for the Humanities Project grant recipient for its newly imagined permanent exhibition, scheduled to open in mid-2024.

To find out more about the museum and purchase tickets to the gala, visit vashonheritagemuseum.org.