Art of the Matter: Cat Mummies

Starting this year, Shawnee Outlook will bring readers a glimpse into Mabee-Gerrer Museum of Art’s offerings and feature a project for them to try at home. For more information about the museum and its programs, visit mgmoa.org or call (405) 878-5300.

Do you know that there is a mummified cat at the Mabee-Gerrer Museum of Art right here in Shawnee? A real mummified cat thousands of years old.

The ancient Egyptians had some traditions that seem pretty crazy to us but were very important to them. One of these traditions was the mummification of animals, and cats were the most popular. These animals are called votive animals. You can learn more about them at mgmoa-gallery.com/ votive-animals. There may have been a million cat mummies in Egypt.

The ancient Egyptians greatly revered cats and raised them to honor the cat goddess Bastet (learn more about Bastet at mgmoa-gallery.com/ bastet). You can see X-rays of the mummified cat at mgmoa-gallery. com/animal-x-rays. Your art project this month is about the importance of cats to ancient Egyptian culture and introduces you to some ancient Egyptian decorations.

Don’t forget to take a picture of your artwork and share it on social media with hashtag #MGMOAart.

Instructions

This is a fun project that can be made with many different styles and materials. Your only limitation is your imagination.

1We started with a blank piece of white paper on which we drew an outline of our cat. You can download the outline of the cat at mgmoa. org/art-projects along with some ancient Egyptian decorations that you can print and color or paint.

2After you have drawn the outline of the cat, it is time to decorate. Use your imagination and choose colors you like. You can add detail to the cat or color it all one color. Be sure to add some fun color to the band around its neck. Do not be afraid to add glitter, rhinestone or anything else you can think of. You can use a black crayon or black marker to outline the cat and its eyes, legs and tail.

3While the cat is drying, it is time to prepare the background. Find or make a paper color you like and think about how you want to decorate it in anticipation of adding the cat. You can search the internet to find traditional Egyptian motifs. You can add hieroglyphics or your own creations. Do not forget to add lots of color.

4After the background is done, it is time to cut out the cat along the black outline. Place the cat on your background and find the perfect place to glue it down. Once you are happy with your placement, glue the cat to the background. That’s it. You’ve created a beautiful Egyptian cat artwork to hang up.

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Depression-Era Youth Center Near Boy Scout Park Later Became YMCA's Teen Town

Like many buildings, the one constructed in Boy Scout Park in 1938 had several identities.

It was a rough time for Shawnee citizens as they – like the rest of the nation in the 1930s – had to deal with the Great Depression. The government came to the rescue with programs like the Civilian Conservation Corps, Public Works Administration and Works Progress Administration putting citizens to work, supporting local businesses and offering schooling.

Such was the case with the NYA, or National Youth Association.

Boys had classes offered in vocational training like welding. Their building was just west of Oklahoma Baptist University and near the original Shawnee airport. Across town, girls had a two-storied building on the west side of Boy Scout Park facing Pesotum Street.

The NYA Training Center was open to girls from all over the state to receive instructions in cooking, decorating, sewing and health but also could board there. By the second year, there were 60 students from ages 13 to 25. The program was to help young people from less advantaged families in a time that caused even more hardship. Some of the work at the school included hemming sheets for the boys at their NYA school and canning produce they had grown during the summer.

Then came the war. NYA programs stayed in place for a while, but as young people entered the military, went to work in defense plants or took over the jobs left empty by those who were in the service, the programs were no longer needed.

When the war ended, life settled back to normal, and it was apparent the fine building still had a use. Within months, a youth center sponsored by the Shawnee Recreation council – dubbed the “Wolves Den” – was opened for Shawnee teenagers. It soon boasted almost 600 members. Officers from the high school and junior high were elected, and membership dues were required. Soft drinks were available, dancing was upstairs and a lounge featuring games was on the ground floor. Then at 11 p.m., as was the standard in those days, the lights were turned out, and the party was over.

In 1948, the YMCA took over the teen program.

Before the YMCA hosted its youth programs in the building known as Teen Town near Boy Scout Park, it provided a home for a training center for the National Youth Association, which sought to teach useful skills to young people as part of the recovery efforts stemming from the Great Depression. Photo submitted

The stated purpose was to "create a social and civic responsibility to serve as a firm foundation to build a future Shawnee.”

In 1951, it became known as Teen Town. Woodrow Wilson School principal Alva Wells was president of the recreational council. Dancing, television, radio, table tennis, pool, card games and a snack bar were available for the local teens. Junior high youngsters used the building on Friday nights, and high school students had Saturdays. Special events were also held in the building.

There was a membership drive in 1957 to increase interest with competition among boys’ and girls’ teams from junior high and high school. The junior high girls won the team prize. The following year, KGFF began an occasional radio broadcast from Teen Town featuring local artists, interviews with the teenagers and contests like identifying songs and singers.

In the 1960s, the interest in Teen Town faded. For a while, the YMCA utilized the building for offices and other activities. They held day camps at the park, and the wading pool and tennis courts were popular. Over time – and after the Y finished building their complex across town in 1965 – the Teen Town building was unused. In the years to come, it finally disappeared from the landscape, but for about 30 years, the home of the NYA and Teen Town was important in the lives of many local citizens.