By Susan Shinn Turner

For the Salisbury Post

SALISBURY — Betty Mickle and Betsy Cunningham have big plans for this weekend’s 65th annual Rowan Museum antiques show. Just sit back and listen.

“You wanna know what we did differently this year?” asks Mickle, who is responsible for securing dealers.

Organizers wanted to expand the show in its new, larger digs at West End Plaza, so that’s exactly what has happened, she says.

“We decided to actively recruit exhibitors,” Mickle said.

She went to shows in Aiken, South Carolina, and Morehead City, Liberty and New Bern in North Carolina. She and Cunningham, chairwoman of this year’s show, visited the Antiques Extravaganza in Raleigh.

Mickle praises longtime exhibitors who suggested new dealers. The show also got some notice in antiques publications, as well as an article in the holiday issue of Salisbury the Magazine.

This year’s show, the blue sapphire anniversary celebration, will honor the late Lib Taylor, the longtime show chairwoman. Organizers also will honor Barbara Lockert on her 50 years of kitchen duty.

“She has her own iced Russian tea recipe,” Cunningham says.

Lockert oversees production of deviled eggs and pimento cheese.

Not only do patrons get to see a antiques on display, they can have repairs made to their own treasures. Chips Away will repair glass and crystal pieces on site, and Jackson Antiques will offer repair of porcelains.

Davis Cooke, a longtime dealer, will offer appraisals of 19th- and 20th-century art.

Mickle and Cunningham also praise Matthew Brown for his assistance with creating the graphics and the website (rowanmuseumantiquesshow.com). Thanks to his efforts, Mickle had a flier to share with potential dealers.

Organizers also have 10,000 postcards to distribute with show information.

Rowan Museum owns four properties: the museum at 202 N. Main St.; the Utzman Chambers House at 114 S. Jackson St.; the Old Stone House at 770 Old Stone House Road; and the China Grove Roller Mill in downtown China Grove.

Artist Clyde gives use of his Bank Street properties for additional programming.

Aaron Kepley, the museum’s executive director, has partnered with Horizons Unlimited for onsite agricultural-industrial education programs at the Roller Mill. Eighth-graders conduct environmental testing at the Old Stone House, and fourth-graders tour the Roller Mill.

The museum sponsors a history club, classes and camps.

A silent auction will take place throughout the weekend of items donated to the museum (but not its collection). The items include a large floral oil painting; a 1953 mantilla — the year of the first show — made of Brussels lace; a watercolor by Lou Clement Murphy; and a whirligig that just may have been made by a famous North Carolina craftsman.

There’s a simple reason for Mickle’s enthusiasm, she says.

“I have always loved history, but when I became a part of the museum board and learned we had a $200,000 annual budget, I realized we depend on these fundraisers,” she said.

Looking through museum archives, she came across an article about the show in which Taylor said maintenance on museum properties depends on the money received from the show.

“That’s still true,” Mickle says.

And there are things to pay for that aren’t so exciting but definitely necessary, such as insurance for all the properties, paint jobs, or new HVAC systems.

“The enthusiasm comes from trying to make this the best show we know how to,” she says. “Once we’ve got all of these dealers coming, we have to have customers.”

“She’s off-the-charts excited about the whole museum,” Cunningham notes.

Cunningham is also a board member and was asked by her colleagues to chair this year’s show.

“My mother served on this board and helped with the antiques show,” she says.

Her mother was the late Ann Boyd.

“They just wanted to hook me in. But I do have a connection, and I know the people who have been involved. I know the expectations about this show. I have tried to support Betty when she needed it, and made sure everything happened when it needed to.”

Debbie Suggs continues to cater the show using the traditional recipes for chicken salad, ham and cheese sandwiches, pimento cheese sandwiches and vegetable soup. And the homemade desserts are a highlight, Mickle and Cunningham say.

Heath van Wagenburg is arranging flowers for the second year, just like her grandmother did, with Salisbury Flower Shop donating most of the blooms.

The antiques show will be Friday through Sunday at West End Plaza, 1935 Jake Alexander Blvd. W. Hours are 10 a.m.- 5 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Sunday. Tickets are $7 (cash only).