Andrea Keller, cultural program director at the Grave Creek Mound and Archeological Complex in Moundsville, stands alongside one of the “golf holes” created by Moundsville Middle School art students as part of a marble golf course for the museum. The golf course will be open to the public within the museum through January.
There’s a new activity in Moundsville for passing time indoors during winter weeks courtesy of art students at Moundsville Middle School, some marbles and an idea from an employee at the Grave Creek Mound Archeological Complex.
A marble “golf course” is being set up within the museum, and patrons will be able to play a round by rolling marbles from Marble King in Paden City into holes on cardboard greens that will be set up throughout the building. Those completing the course will get their own sack of marbles to take home with them.
A grand opening event for the course is set for 2-4 pm on Dec. 10 at the museum.
Art students from Moundsville Middle School crafted the greens, and they were putting the finishing touches on them Thursday morning.
Andrea Keller, cultural program director for the Grave Creek Archeological Complex, recounted how the idea for the marble golf course was formulated about a year ago. New display racks for brochures had arrived at the museum, and each had come in a large cardboard box.
photo by: Photo by Joselyn King
Danielle Waldrop, an eighth grade art student at Moundsville Middle School, stands beside the “golf hole” she created for a marble golf course at the Grave Creek Mound and Archaeological Complex in Moundsville. The golf course will be open to the public within the museum through January.
“I thought, maybe we should be able to do something with these,” Keller said.
Then she looked across the room at a mural on the wall with marbles celebrating the Marble King. Somehow, marbles should be part of the project, she concluded.
“I thought, ‘Why not a winter golf course with marbles?'” Keller said. “It seems like it all was meant to happen.”
Serendipity continued after she discussed the idea with Moundsville Middle School art teacher Tabetha Morgan. Each year, the Marshall County student art show takes place at the museum.
And Morgan had “an ace in the hole” when it came to instructing students about golf course greens and their design.
photo by: Photo by Joselyn King
Kalina Farell, a seventh grade art student at Moundsville Middle School, works on the “golf hole” she created for a marble golf course at the Grave Creek Mound and Archaeological Complex in Moundsville. The golf course will be open to the public within the museum through January.
Her husband, Joshua Morgan, previously served as assistant golf superintendent at Oglebay Park, and as superintendent at Spring Hills Golf Course near Wintersville.
“He helped me really think about the idea of designing the golf course – what would be involved, and the main parts of the golf course,” she said. “The kids would just have to make sure they had the main parts.”
The art students typically draw and paint, but they did research on golf course design to complete their projects, Morgan explained. The only requirement was that each have a hole for the marble to go into, and that they be covered with green felt to represent grass.
Morgan was able to obtain additional boxes, and the students repurposed these into 10 separate golf holes. Each had hazards and landscaping, and students got creative in how they achieved this.
Eighth grader Danielle Waldrop’s golf hole contained a house with a popsicle stick roof. She mixed paint and glue to create a water hazard.
photo by: Photo by Joselyn King
Molly Dixon, an eighth grade art student at Moundsville Middle School, stands beside the “golf hole” she created for a marble golf course at the Grave Creek Mound and Archaeological Complex in Moundsville. The golf course will be open to the public within the museum through January.
Kalina Farrell, a seventh grade student, said when crafting her green she wanted to “make it look pretty.” Tissue paper and paint were combined to make water waves in her landscaping.
“I wanted it to be more difficult,” Farrell explained.
Molly Dixon, grade 8, also used tissue paper when placing water under a bridge near her green, and she combined glue and paint to make sand traps.
Keller said half the holes will remain in the museum’s activities room, while the others will be strategically placed throughout other areas of the building – perhaps bringing patrons to displays they hadn’t noticed before.
She hopes the golf course holes will survive public play, and her hope is to leave them on display through January.
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Andrea Keller, cultural program director at the Grave Creek Mound and Archeological Complex in Moundsville, stands alongside one of the “golf holes” created by Moundsville Middle School art students as part of a marble golf course for the museum. The golf course will be open to the public within the museum through January.
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Danielle Waldrop, an eighth grade art student at Moundsville Middle School, stands beside the “golf hole” she created for a marble golf course at the Grave Creek Mound and Archaeological Complex in Moundsville. The golf course will be open to the public within the museum through January.
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Kalina Farell, a seventh grade art student at Moundsville Middle School, works on the “golf hole” she created for a marble golf course at the Grave Creek Mound and Archaeological Complex in Moundsville. The golf course will be open to the public within the museum through January.
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Molly Dixon, an eighth grade art student at Moundsville Middle School, stands beside the “golf hole” she created for a marble golf course at the Grave Creek Mound and Archaeological Complex in Moundsville. The golf course will be open to the public within the museum through January.