MSU curator offers array of Christmas exhibits

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What started out as a hobby for Val Berryman now brings holiday spirit to community members when he installs Christmas displays every year.

Berryman, a curator of history at the MSU Museum, creates exhibits around the Lansing area from his own collection of Christmas decorations, which he started in about 1983. This year, Berryman has installed several exhibits at area locations including the MSU Museum, the Union, the MSU Dairy Store in Anthony Hall, the fourth floor of Spartan Stadium, the MSU Federal Credit Union headquarters, 3777 West Road, the Williamston Depot Museum, 369 W. Grand River Ave., in Williamston, and the Knapp’s Building, 300 S. Washington Square, in Lansing. Each of the exhibits is on display until Jan. 8.

“I thought that some of them would be quite easy to install because I had done them elsewhere,” he said. “It was still a lot of work, but it’s worth it because I love sharing these things with others. It is especially fun when I can introduce someone to a Christmas custom or object that their ancestors might have used back in the old country.”

This season, the Union will host an international exhibit called Christmas Around the Globe showcasing how the Santa Claus character is interpreted in European, central and southern American countries.

“Each has a slightly different Santa Claus,” Berryman said. “I want to show as many as I can.”

Union director Mark Simmons said the Union and the MSU Museum have close ties and have worked together on other exhibits in the past.

“We find that guests usually enjoy it,” Simmons said.

Berryman said he finds decorations from various places, including eBay. As he’s collecting material for the exhibits, he researches the items to provide a historical background.

“Sometimes, I just come up with a theme because I have been collecting some Christmas category for a period of time and it has never been shown in this area,” Berryman said.

For the sixth year, the Williamston Depot Museum will be decorated with one of Berryman’s holiday displays. This year’s theme for the museum is Christmas from the Philippines. The exhibit includes hand-carved molds from a small village in the Philippines, said Jane Johnson, the president of the board for the Williamston Depot Museum.

“The exhibits he makes are unique,” Johnson said. “He has a huge collection of vintage decorations and people enjoy them.”

Past exhibits at the Williamston Depot Museum showed the different ways European and Scandinavian countries celebrate the Christmas holiday.

“We’re delighted to have them here,” Johnson said. “They’re informative, interesting and professional.”

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