((PKG)) A MOST UNLIKELY PLACE
((Banner: A Small Town Revival))
((Reporter/Camera: Deepak Dobhal))
((Map: Lewellen, Nebraska))
((Map: Lewellen, Nebraska))
((NATS/ Music: Up and under….))
((Popup Banner: A family of artists tries to save a small
town from fading away))
((NATS/ Music: Up and under - laughter))
((Cynthia Miller, Co-owner, The Most Unlikely Place))
This is The Most Unlikely Place in Lewellen, Nebraska.
((NATS/ Music: Up, under and out))
((Cynthia Miller, Co-owner, The Most Unlikely Place))
My husband Dennis, my brother-in-law, Rex Miller, and my
sister-in-law, Jean Jensen.
((NATS – group chatting))
((Jean Jensen, Artist))
We were all involved in a lot of, a couple of years of
economic development meetings, and after a while, we, kind
of, thought we should just do it and start taking action and do
less planning and make more direct changes.
((NATS - traffic passing by))
((Dennis Miller, Artist))
We have six buildings all together here. Buildings were run
down and some of them probably would have collapsed if we
hadn't fixed the roof. The first building that we bought is the
one which is now The Most Unlikely Place.
((NATS/ Music: Up and under….))
((Cynthia Miller, Co-owner, The Most Unlikely Place))
We purchased the building when it was a 100 years old in
2008. We cleaned it up, took out the ceiling, did some
renovating. The guys spent three months the first winter,
just working on this place. Started as a gallery because the
artists needed a place to hang some art.
((Jean Jensen, Artist))
Right.
((Cynthia Miller, Co-owner, The Most Unlikely Place))
Our homes were full and our children's homes were full and
it’s time.....
((Jean Jensen, Artist))
Our closets were full.
((NATS/ Music: Up and under….))
((Cynthia Miller, Co-owner, The Most Unlikely Place))
Dennis is the pastel artist, Jean Jensen paints oils and
watercolors, and Rex has all of the wood sculpture.
((NATS/ Music: Up and under….))
((Cynthia Miller, Co-owner, The Most Unlikely Place))
Then we purchased a coffee machine in order to have,
maybe, a little more business and learned how to make
coffee drinks. And then someone suggested that we might
have a brunch, a Sunday brunch.
((NATS/ Music: under….))
((NATS/Sound – group chatting))
Welcome.
Hi, Jenny. Nice to see you!
Good to see you my dear.
And who did you bring?
My sister, Jean and her husband, John.))
((NATS/ Music: Up and under….))
((Cynthia Miller, Co-owner, The Most Unlikely Place))
When we first opened, there were tables up by the windows.
So, that's quite a distance. So, I put my skates on in order to
get down to the end of the room more efficiently.
((NATS/ Music: under – group chatting))
((Cynthia Miller, Co-owner, The Most Unlikely Place))
Every table has a history and everything has been donated.
We're happy to take whatever anyone wants to give us.
((NATS/ Music: under – group chatting))
((Cynthia Miller, Co-owner, The Most Unlikely Place))
Many guests say this is the perfect name for this place
because it's unlikely that this place would be here in this little
town. It doesn't seem to make sense to them. They say,
well, this should be in San Francisco or in Vail or somewhere
else.
((NATS/ Music: Up and under….))
((Cynthia Miller, Co-owner, The Most Unlikely Place))
We have all kinds of crafts from local artists. We have an
area on the wall for a featured artist each month. We have
local authors. We have book signings and readings
occasionally.
((Local Artist))
She'll sell our things there and so it brings the artist. I was
an artist who was under the table. I didn't know. I just did it.
I gave it away as presents. I never thought I could ever sell
my stuff.
((NATS – outdoor and indoor ambiance))
((Dennis Miller, Artist))
The next door building, which was the old Lewellen hotel,
became available. It is now Rex's woodworking shop. The
upstairs part, my sister Jean now has her studio in.
((NATS – Jean painting))
((Jean Jensen, Artist))
I have really been eyeing it and liking the light and thinking it
would be a good studio, but it was, kind of, a mess and
needed some work. So, Rex helped and we, well, he did
most of the work, so we insulated it and, you know, cleaned
a bunch of junk out of it and I've been painting since.
((Dennis Miller, Artist))
And then, on down the fourth building on the corner, was an
old filling station. It now has a gallery in it that we rented out
to a local art club. So they, group of artists, have their
gallery there. When we started actually doing it, we really
didn't have a vision. We didn't have any goals. We didn't
really know what the building was going to be.
((Dennis Miller, Artist))
We just started and, kind of, let it evolve into what it became
over time.
((NATS – outdoor ambiance))
((Rex Miller, Woodcarver))
And we want to create things that we can enjoy ourselves.
((Dennis Miller, Artist))
Yeah.
((Rex Miller, Woodcarver))
And our friends and community can enjoy.
((NATS – outdoor ambiance))
((Dennis Miller, Artist))
So, we have signage on the highway. We were able to fix
up the fronts of the buildings and create some activity in
town. So, it certainly does and it has drawn people into the
town. In the last five years, we've gotten 49 people, 49
homes sold.
((NATS – outdoor ambiance))
((Cynthia Miller, Co-owner, The Most Unlikely Place))
When people see that the town is alive, then they're more
likely to want to live there.
((NATS – outdoor ambiance….music under))
((Cynthia Miller, Co-owner, The Most Unlikely Place))
We have pride in our town. This is our home. This is where
we've all chosen to live. And so, we will do everything we
can to make it into where we want to live.
((MUSIC/ up and out))
((Banner: A Small Town Revival))
((Reporter/Camera: Deepak Dobhal))
((Map: Lewellen, Nebraska))
((Map: Lewellen, Nebraska))
((NATS/ Music: Up and under….))
((Popup Banner: A family of artists tries to save a small
town from fading away))
((NATS/ Music: Up and under - laughter))
((Cynthia Miller, Co-owner, The Most Unlikely Place))
This is The Most Unlikely Place in Lewellen, Nebraska.
((NATS/ Music: Up, under and out))
((Cynthia Miller, Co-owner, The Most Unlikely Place))
My husband Dennis, my brother-in-law, Rex Miller, and my
sister-in-law, Jean Jensen.
((NATS – group chatting))
((Jean Jensen, Artist))
We were all involved in a lot of, a couple of years of
economic development meetings, and after a while, we, kind
of, thought we should just do it and start taking action and do
less planning and make more direct changes.
((NATS - traffic passing by))
((Dennis Miller, Artist))
We have six buildings all together here. Buildings were run
down and some of them probably would have collapsed if we
hadn't fixed the roof. The first building that we bought is the
one which is now The Most Unlikely Place.
((NATS/ Music: Up and under….))
((Cynthia Miller, Co-owner, The Most Unlikely Place))
We purchased the building when it was a 100 years old in
2008. We cleaned it up, took out the ceiling, did some
renovating. The guys spent three months the first winter,
just working on this place. Started as a gallery because the
artists needed a place to hang some art.
((Jean Jensen, Artist))
Right.
((Cynthia Miller, Co-owner, The Most Unlikely Place))
Our homes were full and our children's homes were full and
it’s time.....
((Jean Jensen, Artist))
Our closets were full.
((NATS/ Music: Up and under….))
((Cynthia Miller, Co-owner, The Most Unlikely Place))
Dennis is the pastel artist, Jean Jensen paints oils and
watercolors, and Rex has all of the wood sculpture.
((NATS/ Music: Up and under….))
((Cynthia Miller, Co-owner, The Most Unlikely Place))
Then we purchased a coffee machine in order to have,
maybe, a little more business and learned how to make
coffee drinks. And then someone suggested that we might
have a brunch, a Sunday brunch.
((NATS/ Music: under….))
((NATS/Sound – group chatting))
Welcome.
Hi, Jenny. Nice to see you!
Good to see you my dear.
And who did you bring?
My sister, Jean and her husband, John.))
((NATS/ Music: Up and under….))
((Cynthia Miller, Co-owner, The Most Unlikely Place))
When we first opened, there were tables up by the windows.
So, that's quite a distance. So, I put my skates on in order to
get down to the end of the room more efficiently.
((NATS/ Music: under – group chatting))
((Cynthia Miller, Co-owner, The Most Unlikely Place))
Every table has a history and everything has been donated.
We're happy to take whatever anyone wants to give us.
((NATS/ Music: under – group chatting))
((Cynthia Miller, Co-owner, The Most Unlikely Place))
Many guests say this is the perfect name for this place
because it's unlikely that this place would be here in this little
town. It doesn't seem to make sense to them. They say,
well, this should be in San Francisco or in Vail or somewhere
else.
((NATS/ Music: Up and under….))
((Cynthia Miller, Co-owner, The Most Unlikely Place))
We have all kinds of crafts from local artists. We have an
area on the wall for a featured artist each month. We have
local authors. We have book signings and readings
occasionally.
((Local Artist))
She'll sell our things there and so it brings the artist. I was
an artist who was under the table. I didn't know. I just did it.
I gave it away as presents. I never thought I could ever sell
my stuff.
((NATS – outdoor and indoor ambiance))
((Dennis Miller, Artist))
The next door building, which was the old Lewellen hotel,
became available. It is now Rex's woodworking shop. The
upstairs part, my sister Jean now has her studio in.
((NATS – Jean painting))
((Jean Jensen, Artist))
I have really been eyeing it and liking the light and thinking it
would be a good studio, but it was, kind of, a mess and
needed some work. So, Rex helped and we, well, he did
most of the work, so we insulated it and, you know, cleaned
a bunch of junk out of it and I've been painting since.
((Dennis Miller, Artist))
And then, on down the fourth building on the corner, was an
old filling station. It now has a gallery in it that we rented out
to a local art club. So they, group of artists, have their
gallery there. When we started actually doing it, we really
didn't have a vision. We didn't have any goals. We didn't
really know what the building was going to be.
((Dennis Miller, Artist))
We just started and, kind of, let it evolve into what it became
over time.
((NATS – outdoor ambiance))
((Rex Miller, Woodcarver))
And we want to create things that we can enjoy ourselves.
((Dennis Miller, Artist))
Yeah.
((Rex Miller, Woodcarver))
And our friends and community can enjoy.
((NATS – outdoor ambiance))
((Dennis Miller, Artist))
So, we have signage on the highway. We were able to fix
up the fronts of the buildings and create some activity in
town. So, it certainly does and it has drawn people into the
town. In the last five years, we've gotten 49 people, 49
homes sold.
((NATS – outdoor ambiance))
((Cynthia Miller, Co-owner, The Most Unlikely Place))
When people see that the town is alive, then they're more
likely to want to live there.
((NATS – outdoor ambiance….music under))
((Cynthia Miller, Co-owner, The Most Unlikely Place))
We have pride in our town. This is our home. This is where
we've all chosen to live. And so, we will do everything we
can to make it into where we want to live.
((MUSIC/ up and out))
