Red Wing, MN – A lot of spectacular pieces have crossed the block at the Red Wing Collectors Society (RWCS) Convention Auction since the club was founded in 1977, but none had ever reached the $20,000 mark until this year.

Decorated with a cobalt butterfly and stamped “Red Wing Stoneware Company” on the front, a 10 gallon Red Wing salt glaze water cooler sold for $21,500 – the highest price ever paid for a piece at the club’s Convention Auction. At $4,000, a striking 1 gallon blue-sponged ‘Lunch Hour’ beehive jug with the name “L.L. Stromberg” stenciled on the front was a distant runner-up in the July 11 auction, which totaled $87,500 in total sales.

Other big news coming out of the 43^rd Annual RWCS Convention, which attracted nearly 1,000 visitors to Red Wing, MN during the week of July 8, was the induction of two couples into the RWCS Hall of Fame during the club’s annual business meeting on Friday, July 12. Longtime RWCS members Steve & Barb Brown, and Bonnie Hutchson and her late husband, David, were recognized for all the time, knowledge and passion they’ve shared with the RWCS, fellow collectors and the Pottery Museum of Red Wing in their pursuits to preserve the history of Red Wing’s clay industry.

The Convention also featured a tastefully decorated display room, a miniature commemorative spittoon and a solid educational lineup with a dozen different speakers presenting on a wide range of topics including Red Wing bowls, stoneware patents, Red Wing’s ‘Anniversary Line’ of dinnerware, collecting on a budget, Red Wing’s early marketing efforts, finds from the Red Wing pottery dump and identifying repaired items and fakes. The Pottery Museum of Red Wing also held its annual “Wine-ing” for Red Wing fundraiser and the grand opening of its new “Red Wing Saloon” exhibit, which will be on display until the end of the year when a Prohibition exhibit will take its place.

Another fun aspect of the RWCS Convention is the participation of the younger generation through the KidsView and Young Collectors programs. The focus on these RWCS members is an important part of the vision of the Society to ensure its continued existence and growth. More than 20 kids and young adults participated in the interactive and educational activities this year, which included a trip to visit the Goodhue County Historical Society Museum’s 150^th Anniversary exhibit, bidding at the annual KidsView auction and several hands-on pottery creation projects at Red Wing Art Reach. The final day of Convention Week featured the RWCS Show & Sale on Saturday, July 13, followed by the RWCS Banquet later in the evening.

The RWCS wishes to thank this year’s Convention sponsors: Red Wing Shoes, Larry’s Jugs Antiques, Red Wing Brewery, Red Wing Stoneware Co., Stockholm Pie Plate Cafe’ & General Store, Red Wing Framing & Fine Art Printing, Musty Barnhart Agency, Xcel Energy and First State Bank of Red Wing.

The next RWCS event is its Annual MidWinter GetTogether, which will be held at the Isle Hotel & Casino in Bettendorf, IA from Feb. 28 to Mar. 1. Visit the club’s website for more information.

Annual membership in the Red Wing Collectors Society also costs $35 and includes five full-color newsletters mailed to your home throughout the year. The RWCS was founded in 1977 in Red Wing and there are more than 3,000 members worldwide. For more information or to become a member, call the RWCS business office at 651-388-4004, e-mail membership@redwingcollectors.org or log on to www.redwingcollectors.org. You can also join the RWCS on Facebook and follow it on Twitter at @RWCollectors.

Red Wing, MN – “It is indeed a sad time for Red Wing, the state of Minnesota and the pottery industry as a whole,” says Red Wing Collectors Society President Paul Wichert, in reaction to Red Wing Stoneware’s Aug. 26 announcement that it will shut down its industrial operations. 

The Red Wing Collectors Society commissioned Red Wing Stoneware to produce its annual Convention commemorative several times during the club’s history, which extends back to 1977. In fact, the RWCS once again commissioned Red Wing Stoneware to produce its commemorative in 2019.

“Our organization’s members were very happy with the quality of this year’s commemorative, which is a replica of a toy spittoon,” says RWCS Executive Director Stacy Wegner. “In addition, Red Wing Stoneware made our special commemoratives – 19 Red Wing Sewer Pipe salesman sample replicas awarded to the winners of drawings, silent auctions and displays.”

The club also commissioned Red Wing Stoneware to produce some fundraising versions of its commemorative. Along with the commemorative, they were a highlight of the event, which took place back in July. Red Wing Stoneware was also a valued sponsor of the RWCS Convention this year.

“We appreciated their support to expand the Convention program and activities for our members,” Wegner notes. “The RWCS Board and members are saddened to hear of the ceasing of production.”

“Red Wing Stoneware was a big part of the legacy of Red Wing’s iconic pottery industry,” Wichert adds. “Their commitment to keeping the pottery history alive in Red Wing through their unique products will be a loss to the community, as well as to collectors.”

The RWCS was founded in 1977 in Red Wing and there are more than 3,000 members worldwide. For more information or to become a member, call the RWCS business office at 651-388-4004, e-mail membership@redwingcollectors.org or log on to www.redwingcollectors.org. You can also join the RWCS on Facebook and follow it on Twitter at @RWCollectors. Annual membership in the Red Wing Collectors Society also costs $35 and includes five full-color newsletters mailed to your home throughout the year.

Red Wing, Minn.- At the Red Wing Collectors Society Annual Business Meeting held on July 12 in conjunction with their 43rd Annual Convention to local Red Wing area couples were inducted into the organizations Hall of Fame.

The Red Wing Collectors Society Hall of Fame was established in 1991 to recognize individuals who have made a major positive impact in the collecting, preservation, and/or education about Red Wing stoneware, pottery, and dinnerware. There have been only 27 recipients previously inducted into the RWCS Hall of Fame.

Steve and Barb Brown with their presenter Cathy Wurzer. Photo courtesy of David La Haye.

 Four new recipients of this prestigious award were recognized during this year’s Convention during the annual meeting of the Collectors Society on Friday, July 12. They are Steven and Barbara Brown and David (posthumously) and Bonnie Hutchson.

Steve and Barb Brown, Red Wing, Minnesota, have generously shared information about the pottery manufacturing companies of Red Wing and organized projects and displays to preserve that information. They have also shared information about their particular passion for Red Wing Oddities, lunch hour pieces and rare examples of pottery made in Red Wing. They both served on the Pottery Museum Foundation Board of Directors a combined 22 years and Steve was the historian of the RWCS for 16 years among many other volunteer positions they have both held.

Bonnie Hutchson accepting the Hall of Fame plaque from her presenter Dian Hallstrom. Photo courtesy of Betsy Moenkedick

David and Bonnie Hutchson, Lake City, Minnesota, made a significant contribution to the preservation of historical information when they rescued, preserved and then donated an irreplaceable archive of historical catalogs, documents, molds, and rare pottery pieces to the Pottery Museum of Red Wing. Dave and Bonnie were mold makers alongside Dave’s father, Teddy, who was the last employee at Red Wing Potteries in 1967 when it closed. Without these artifacts and their first-hand knowledge, valuable information would have been lost. Dave spent many days volunteering at the Pottery Museum as a tour guide and shared detailed information to visitors about the mold making process and manufacturing of pottery wares.

The Red Wing Collectors Society is delighted to welcome Steve and Barb Brown and Dave and Bonnie Hutchson into the RWCS Hall of Fame.

Below is the information that was included in their presentation plaques.

Steven and Barbara Brown – 2019

Steven P. and Barbara J. Brown of Red Wing, Minnesota, Red Wing Collectors Society member numbers 1037 and 1056, have made significant contributions to the Red Wing Collectors Society, Steve and Barb are hereby inducted into the Red Wing Collectors Society Hall of Fame this 12^th day of July, 2019 in recognition of these lifetime achievements:

• Active RWCS members since 1979 and 1995 respectively
• RWCS Board of Directors – Steve Publicity Committee Chair 1990-1991 and Historian 1998-2014
• RWCS Convention Display Committee Chairperson – Barb 2001& 2002
• RWCS 25^th Anniversary Planning Committee 2000 – 2002 – Both
• RWCS Newsletter contributors and RWCS Convention Educational Seminar presenters and KidsView volunteers
• Steve was a founding Board member of the RWCS Foundation and served on the Board as Historian 2000-2014
• Barb served as an RWCS Foundation Board member 2005-2015, serving as Secretary 2007-2015
• Barb served on the “Wine-ing for Red Wing” Fundraiser for the Pottery Museum of Red Wing
• Both have presented Educational seminars in support of the Pottery Museum of Red Wing

Steve and Barb have also significantly contributed to the preservation of historical information about the pottery manufacturing companies of Red Wing, Minnesota. Steve was instrumental in organizing an extensive oral history project, capturing memories and recollections of past pottery employees, relatives, and friends. This joint venture with the Goodhue County History Center was completed in 2003. Steve also completed the arrangements for the Pottery Museum of Red Wing to be gifted the Revoir Red Wing Pottery industry photographic collection.  Steve organized special displays during the convention to provide additional educational benefit to RWCS Convention attendees. Both Steve and Barb have generously shared information about their particular passion for Red Wing Oddities, lunch hour pieces and rare examples of pottery made in Red Wing. They have both volunteered many times as tour guides at the Pottery Museum. The RWCS is delighted to welcome both Steve and Barbara Brown into the RWCS Hall of Fame.

David (posthumously) and Bonnie Hutchson – 2019

David and Bonnie Hutchson of Lake City, Minnesota, Red Wing Collectors Society Members #15078, have made significant contributions to the Red Wing Collectors Society. David and Bonnie are hereby inducted into the Red Wing Collectors Society Hall of Fame this 12^th day of July, 2019 in recognition of these lifetime achievements:

• Joined the RWCS in 1979
• Dave produced the 1980 RWCS Commemorative using remaining Red Wing Potteries Clay
• Dave and Bonnie preserved Red Wing Potteries artifacts that are now part of the permanent collection of the Pottery Museum of Red Wing
• Dave and Bonnie presented Educational Seminars in 2006
• Dave served on the RWCS Foundation Board of Directors 2005-2007
• Dave volunteered at the Pottery Museum of Red Wing

David and Bonnie have contributed significantly to the preservation of historical information about the pottery manufacturing in Red Wing, Minnesota. Dave and Bonnie were mold makers alongside Dave’s father, Teddy, who was the last employee at Red Wing Potteries in 1967 when it closed. David and Bonnie kept records, molds, and artifacts from the Potteries safe for many years until they donated all of it to the RWCS Foundation. The Pottery Museum also holds an irreplaceable archive of historical catalogs, documents and rare pottery pieces thanks to David and Bonnie. Without these artifacts and their first-hand knowledge, valuable information would have been lost. David spent many days volunteering at the Pottery Museum as a tour guide and shared detailed information to visitors about the mold making process and manufacturing of pottery wares. The RWCS is delighted to welcome both Dave and Bonnie Hutchson into the RWCS Hall of Fame.

Miniature spittoons!

Greetings Red Wing Collector!

Here it is — the moment you have been waiting for — the 2019 Commemorative & Accessory has been unveiled.

Version A is the zinc/Albany slip combination. Version B is zinc and Version C is Albany slip. They are ink-stamped “Red Wing Collectors Society July 11 – 13 Convention 2019” on the bottom. The spittoons were cast at Red Wing Stoneware in Red Wing, MN.

The accessory piece is a replica of a vintage tobacco tin from Joseph Jellineck, a Red Wing tobacco dealer.

As always, the three versions are distributed at random both mail and pick up orders.

Now that you know what the commemorative is you can still order one. You have until Saturday, July 13 at Midnight!

• $67 if you would like a mailed commemorative only  
• $82 for Mailed Commemorative WITH the tobacco tin Accessory

You have two opportunities to order the commemorative!

• Online: https://www.redwingcollectors.org/members/shop/signin (No FEE to order online)
• Call: 651-388-4004

Don’t miss out on your 2019 Commemorative and Accessory –Order Today!

Contact the RWCS Business Office with any questions!

The RWCS Convention Program is mailing to members.

This is your printed resource for all the events and activities of the Convention. 

RWCS member Craig Orcutt is also working on the final details of the Convention app for download. Watch for more information on that soon.

Fronted-stamped “Red Wing Stoneware Company”, this 10 gallon salt glaze water cooler hand-decorated with a cobalt butterfly is expected be the top prize at the official RWCS members-only auction at the RWCS Convention. The event will be held at the River Bluff Education Center at 395 Guernsey Lane in Red Wing. A preview will be held from 2 to 4:15 p.m. on Thursday, July 11, with the auction beginning at 4:30 p.m.

Red Wing, MN – A signed Red Wing 10 gallon butterfly-decorated salt glaze water cooler is just one of the impressive pieces highlighting the official members-only auction at the Red Wing Collectors Society Convention, July 11-13 in Red Wing.

The RWCS will celebrate its 43^rd Anniversary at this year’s Convention, which will unofficially begin on Wednesday, July 10 when the RWCS Foundation holds its “Wine-ing for Red Wing” fundraiser from 6 to 9 p.m. at the Pottery Museum of Red Wing at 240 Harrison Street, Red Wing. Admission for the fundraising event is $25; it will feature food and beverages, and silent and live auctions.

For the first time, this year’s RWCS Convention will be held at the River Bluff Education Center located adjacent to Red Wing High School. Located at 395 Guernsey Lane in Red Wing, River Bluff opened its doors in the fall of 2015 and is part of the Goodhue County Education District. The facility has a compact layout and enough rooms for all Convention events. Plus, the school’s gymnasium is air-conditioned, which will provide a comfortable place to hold the Convention Auction on Thursday, July 11 and Show & Sale on Saturday, July 13.

The RWCS Convention officially kicks off at 10:30 a.m. on Thursday, July 11 with a keynote presentation on grading pottery and stoneware for the Society’s auction by RWCS Member Larry Birks. A long-time collector and past RWCS president, Birks will present on the need for auction grading and the definitions of the various damage the graders look for that cause the description to vary from what is shown on the RWCS Auction sheet. The seminar will also explain repairs, restorations and fakes that find their way across the grading table.

The official RWCS members-only auction*, which features more than 200 pieces consigned by members, will take place at 4:30 that evening in River Bluff’s gymnasium. Onsite registration will be available to become a member. The auction preview will be open from 2 to 4:15 p.m. Catalogs are for sale for $5 in advance at the Pottery Museum of Red Wing or can be purchased at the auction itself.

RWCS members will also have their lineup of usual favorites to attend during Convention, including street sales held at Red Wing’s historic Pottery Place, other stoneware and pottery auctions held on Tuesday and Wednesday, educational seminars and the official RWCS Show & Sale at the River Bluff gymnasium that begins for members at 9 a.m. Saturday, July 13. It opens FREE to the public from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. In addition to these activities, an early evening social will feature food, trivia and fun from 5 to 6:30 p.m. on Friday, July 12 in the River Bluff cafeteria.

A reunion of the iconic Red Wing stoneware “Boy with Crock” statues is being held in the Display Room at the Red Wing Collectors Society’s Annual Convention this summer (Thursday, July 11 through Saturday, July 13). There are at least 14 of these impressive figurines in existence, but more are likely more out there. Collectors hoping all of the figurines can attend for what will surely be an epic display of incredible handcrafted folk art stoneware.

Other Convention activities include a “Crock Hunt” scavenger hunt around Red Wing and a special display room at River Bluff where members create their own unique displays of Red Wing items for the education and enjoyment of attendees. This year the Convention Display Room will feature a reunion of the coveted Red Wing stoneware “Boy with Crock” statues.

If you have one of these statues, please contact RWCS Executive Director Stacy Wegner at director@redwingcollectors.org for more details about the display. Even if you can’t make it to Convention, the RWCS would like to work with you to bring your Boy with Crock back to Red Wing for this brief appearance. The identities of all Boy with Crock owners will be kept confidential.

An annual commemorative will be unveiled and distributed to members beginning Thursday, July 11. The commemorative piece is a closely guarded secret and there is much speculation as to what the piece will be each year. It is a miniature replica of a Red Wing pottery item with a limited number made. Last year’s commemorative was a flower pot.

Breakout education sessions scheduled for Friday, July 12 at the River Bluff Education Center will offer a great selection of diverse topics. The presentations are listed below; check out the “Education Seminars” page on the Convention section of the RWCS website for more detailed descriptions

• Patents and Stoneware by Marv Juel.
• The Journey of Collecting Red Wing by RWCS Hall of Famer Larry Peterson and Gary Tyc.
• Collecting on a Budget by Todd Avery.
• The Dump Finds from the Past by RWCS Hall of Famer Steve Showers and his wife, Phyllis.

• Digging Up the Past by Red Wing Dump Diggers Paul Boudin & Connie Mathison.
• Anniversary Line Dinnerware by RWCS Hall of Famers Terry Moe & Larry Roschen.
• Early Red Wing Clay Industries and Marketing – from Salt and Albany to the Dawn of Zinc by Dr. Danaè R. Quirk Dorr.
• “Hat’s Off To History” 150 years of Goodhue County History by Robin Wipperling, Goodhue County Historical Society Executive Director.
• The Potter, the Myth and the Reality by Potter Richard Spiller.
• Red Wing Bowls by Brent Mischke.

Another unique aspect of the RWCS Convention is the participation of the younger generation through the KidsView program. The Society is on the leading edge of creating engaging and educational ways to get the younger generations involved in collecting. Children ages 3-12 will have several hands-on pottery creation projects and a Kids’ Auction to participate in from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Friday, July 12 at Red Wing Art Reach and the Goodhue County Historical Society (GCHS), which is located at 1166 Oak Street in Red Wing.

To further complement KidsView, the RWCS has a Young Collectors program for Red Wing collectors ages 13 to 20 grow their interest in Red Wing. This is a great opportunity to learn more about Red Wing, develop new friendships through peer-to-peer discussion groups and participate in hands-on activities. Young Collectors activities will be held at the GCHS from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Thursday, July 11.

The 2019 RWCS Convention is sponsored by Red Wing Shoes, Larry’s Jugs Antiques, Red Wing Brewery, Red Wing Stoneware Co., Stockholm Pie Plate Cafe’ & General Store, Red Wing Framing & Fine Art Printing, Musty Barnhart Agency, Xcel Energy and First State Bank of Red Wing. To learn more about all the events and activities of the RWCS Convention, visit the RWCS website event page for the Convention.

The RWCS can also be followed on Twitter and on Facebook. Like most antique collecting clubs, attracting young new collectors has been a challenge for the RWCS. A bright spot in the organizations recruiting efforts has come through the RWCS Facebook Chapter, which is a highly active page where recent finds are shared, questions are answered and pieces are bought and sold by new and advanced collectors alike. To join the conversation, visit www.facebook.com/groups/RWCSChapter/.

* Registering onsite to attend the RWCS Convention costs $50 per person; kids 15 and under are free. Annual membership in the Red Wing Collectors Society also costs $35 and includes five full-color newsletters mailed to your home throughout the year. The RWCS was founded in 1977 in Red Wing and there are more than 3,000 members worldwide. For more information or to become a member, call the RWCS business office at 651-388-4004, e-mail membership@redwingcollectors.org or log on to www.redwingcollectors.org. You can also join the RWCS on Facebook and follow it on Twitter at @RWCollectors. 

Update from RWCS Newsletter Editor Rick Natynski:

Members, the April RWCS Newsletter printed on April 22 and was supposed to mail out the following day, but there was a significant delay at the fulfillment house the printer uses. At this point, most members have not received a newsletter yet. The printer spoke with a post office rep on Thursday and according to them, the newsletters have finally been received and should be delivered to mailboxes soon.

I apologize deeply for this delay. I have informed the printer that this is unacceptable and they agreed. They will discontinue their relationship with this particular mail house going forward.

RED WING, MN – Hundreds of stoneware and pottery collectors are gearing up for the annual Red Wing Collectors Society (RWCS) MidWinter GetTogether, which will be held at the Isle Resort and Casino in Bettendorf, IA Feb. 22-23. This will be first time a club event will be held in the Quad Cities in the organization’s 42-year history.

Founded in 1977, the RWCS is composed of than 3,000 members worldwide who collect stoneware crocks, jugs, churns, dinnerware and art pottery manufactured in Red Wing from the 1880s to 1960s.

The event, which is focused around on buying, selling, education and fun with old and new friends alike, will kick off with a Friday night social for attendees in the hotel’s Salon B ballroom from 6 to 8 p.m. on Feb. 22. But many attendees will start selling stoneware and pottery from their hotel rooms in the north tower well before that – some starting as early as Tuesday, Feb. 19. A formal Show & Sale will run from 1 to 3:30 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 23 followed by an auction at 4:30 p.m. – both of which are open to the public. More information about the auction can be found at www.houghtonauctions.com. Whether you’re new to collecting Red Wing or an experienced collector, anyone and everyone is invited to attend this fun event and find a new piece for their collection.

Education is also a major focus of the event. Starting at 8:30 a.m. on Saturday, Feb. 23, collector Danae Quirk Dorr will give a keynote presentation on “Red Wing Clay Industries & Marketing – From Salt and Albany to the Dawn of Zinc”. Danae will cover products produced and sold by Red Wing Stoneware Co., Minnesota Stoneware Co., North Star Stoneware Co., and Union Stoneware Co. through the 1800s. A highly informative and enthusiastic speaker, Danae is vice president of the RWCS Facebook Chapter and a member of the RWCS Foundation Board.

After that, the following hour-long education sessions will begin at 9:30 a.m. and 10:40 a.m., separated by a 10-minute break:

• “Pouring and Glazing Pottery” by Glenn Beall. In addition to being the former RWCS Education Manager, Glenn has been pouring and glazing his own pottery for the past nine years and he’s excited to share the ‘ins and outs’ of pottery production.
• “Salt Glaze Stoneware” by Rick Natynski. Best known for the high quality RWCS Newsletter that he’s produced for the past 12 years, Rick has collected Red Wing salt glaze for nearly 20 years. He’ll share more than 200 photos – many featuring the best pieces Red Wing ever turned out.
• “Auction Grading: Identifying Stoneware Damage, Restorations and Fakes” by Larry Birks. A stoneware collector since the late 1970s, Larry served as RWCS President from 2014 to 2016. In addition to grading items for the RWCS Thursday Night Convention Auction for several years, he has presented seminars on “faked advertising” stoneware to the RWCS, Collectors of Illinois Pottery & Stoneware (COIPS) and the Blue and White Collectors Club. “Knowing what to look for when buying a piece of stoneware will help everyone know whether the ‘value asked is the value bought!’” Larry says.
• “Red Wing Dinnerware” by Terry Moe & Larry Roschen. Experts in the field of Red Wing dinnerware, both Terry and Larry are RWCS Hall of Famers. They have presented countless seminars on the many dinnerware lines produced by the Red Wing Potteries. Their sessions have a loyal following at every RWCS event, which will surely be the case again in 2019.

All activities will be held at the Isle Casino Hotel at 1800 Isle Parkway in Bettendorf, IA. Visit www.erwcs.org to register or learn more about the MidWinter GetTogether.

This event will help tie collectors over until the 42^nd annual Red Wing Collectors Society Summer Convention, which slated for July 12-14 in Red Wing, MN. Annual membership in the RWCS costs only $35 and includes five 16-page full-color newsletters mailed to your home throughout the year. For more information or to become a member, call the RWCS business office at 651-388-4004, e-mail membership@redwingcollectors.org or log on to www.erwcs.org. You can also join the RWCS on Facebook and follow it on Twitter at @RWCollectors

Thank you to our advertisers!

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Deadline to order January 23, 2019

RWCS members can pre-order to pick up at MidWinter or have it mailed after the event!

CLICK HERE to pre order to recieve in two ways!

1. Pay and Pick up at MidWinter 2019 in Bettendorf, IA.
2. Have it mailed after MidWinter!. Members ordering for mail will be contacted by the RWCS to make payment arrangements.

AVAILABLE ONLY at MIDWINTER!

In addition to the Diggin’ shirts members attending MidWinter will be able to order one of the fashion polo shirts below and purchase a limited line of hats, pens, and other gear!

RED WING, MN – The Red Wing Collectors Society Annual Convention, July 11-13, 2019 will be held all in one place and in a new location at Goodhue County Education District’s (GCED) River Bluff Education Center (RBEC) located adjacent to Red Wing High School in Red Wing, MN.

For the past two years, the Red Wing Collectors Society’s (RWCS) Convention has been held in two venues the Minnesota State College Southeast’s Red Wing Campus and the Red Wing National Guard Armory. Prior to that, the Convention was held at the Red Wing High School.

With more time to plan for 2019, the RWCS conducted an attendee survey during the 2018 Convention. The survey indicated that while members enjoyed the College’s compact facility layout and the adult friendly furnishings, many respondents said that they were unhappy traveling to a second venue without air conditioning for the Auction and Show & Sale. With this member feedback, the RWCS Board of Directors formed a committee to review any site in the Red Wing area. The committee focused on two main features for a facility. One, it had the compact feel of the College and two, large enough to hold all the Convention events with special consideration that the room used for Auction and Show & Sale would have air conditioning.

“The committee’s objective was to leave no stone unturned when seeking the right place to hold the 2019 Convention activities like Chapter meetings, educational seminars, display, Auction, and Show & Sale.” stated Paul Wichert, RWCS President.

This past fall, the committee researched nearly 20 different venue options and toured many of them. The River Bluff facility had been on the RWCS short list two years ago, but time constraints in 2017 made a full evaluation of the facility difficult. As the committee began to narrow down the list, River Bluff once again bubbled to the top as an all-inclusive location with the small venue feel of the College and Armory. Stacy Wegner, RWCS Executive Director, and the committee approached Cherie Johnson, Executive Director at the River Bluff Education Center. Working closely with Cherie, the committee, and several key RWCS members, the River Bluff facility would be a fit for the 2019 Convention. The facility had a compact layout, enough rooms for all events, and the gym has air conditioning.

“We are very excited to host the RWCS Convention 2019” said Cherie Johnson, Executive Director, RBEC. “As director of the GCED I spearheaded the build of River Bluff and I kept the RWCS Convention in the back of my mind when Goodhue County began the building process. I knew our school would be a fit, we just needed more time to plan the Convention within the building.”

River Bluff Education Center (RBEC) opened its doors in the fall of 2015 and is part of the Goodhue County Education District. The GCED is a group of six districts in southeastern Minnesota that work together to provide educational services and funding for a variety of special education programs, staff development, and alternative school services.

The RWCS can’t thank Minnesota State College and the Red Wing National Guard Armory enough for their warm hospitality and support these past two years. Both facilities and their staffs were a pleasure to work with.

River Bluff’s new construction will serve as an excellent venue for all the 2019 Convention events. Stacy Wegner, RWCS Executive Director, along with other key managers, position chairs, and volunteers have already begun laying the ground work for the move to River Bluff.

“I am excited to be working with Cherie and her staff to make the smooth transition to River Bluff for the 2019 Convention. The school’s compact layout will keep the feeling of the college, but bring all the convention events into one building. Cherie’s an RWCS member too, so her Convention attendee experience will be a key piece in planning for the Convention.” said Stacy Wegner, Executive Director, RWCS.

RWCS members are encouraged to attend MidWinter, February 22-24, 2019 in Bettendorf, IA at the Isle of Capri to get all the latest information on Convention! Wegner will share more details about the 2019 Convention during the event’s Welcome Session slated for Saturday, February 23, 2019.

Annual membership in the Red Wing Collectors Society costs only $35 and includes six 16-page full-color newsletters mailed to your home throughout the year. The RWCS was founded in 1977 in Red Wing and there are more than 3,000 members worldwide. For more information or to become a member, call the RWCS business office at 651-388-4004, e-mail director@redwingcollectors.org or log on to www.redwingcollectors.org. You can also follow the RWCS on Facebook at www.facebook.com/RedWingCollectorsSociety and Twitter at @RWCollectors.