Joe Rantz gets hero’s welcome

The new “No Ordinary Joe: The local story behind the 'Boys in the Boat'” exhibit at the Sequim Museum & Arts Center debuted last week, featuring memorabilia, artifacts and other material about Olympic gold medalist Joe Rantz.

No ordinary Joe, indeed.

The new “No Ordinary Joe: The local story behind the “Boys in the Boat” exhibit at the Sequim Museum & Arts Center debuted last week, featuring memorabilia, artifacts and other material about Olympic gold medalist Joe Rantz.

Material for the poster exhibit came from the Willman Family, the museum’s collections and archives providing information on Rantz’s time in Sequim as a young man.

The exhibit includes a 42-foot cedar racing shell made by fabled boat-builder George Pocock.

Rantz, who spent much of his youth in Sequim, went on to row with the University of Washington team, which took the gold at the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin.

Author Daniel James Brown has highlighted Rantz’s contributions in Brown’s bestseller, “Boys in the Boat.” While Brown was not on hand for the museum opening, Judy Willman — Rantz’s daughter and curator for much of Joe Rantz’s archives — and her husband Ray welcomed fans of Joe’s story and of the book at last week’s opening.

Contributors to the exhibit included Beverly Majors, Judy Stipe and Katherine Vollenweider.

A grand opening party with refreshments and special guests will take place at the museum from 5 p.m. until 8 p.m. Feb. 6 during Sequim’s First Friday Art Walk.

The museum’s winter hours are from 11 a.m.-3 p.m., Wednesdays through Saturdays. Call 683-8110 or see www.MacSequim.org.