International Women’s Air and Space Museum
“Corks on the Concourse”

Mark Thomas, Barbie Siegel and Marcy Frumker

The International Women’s Air and Space Museum (IWASM) hosted its annual fundraiser, “Corks on the Concourse,” on the evening before the official start of the Cleveland National Air Show.
More than 100 guests attended in support of the museum’s mission to preserve, educate and inspire communities about the role of women in all areas of air and space. Party goers enjoyed wine tastings, tested their trivia knowledge with lightning round prizes and honored the annual lifetime achievement recipients.
In 1968, a group of women came together with a dream of establishing a place where young people, and learners of all ages, could experience the impact of women in aviation. In 2024, with a year and a half away from IWASM’s 50th anniversary, the museum celebrated the legacy of a group of women. The women who had a hand in the museum’s beginnings include Bernice Steadman, Paige Shamburger, Nancy Hopkins Tier, Doris Scott, Phyllis Ashworth and Susan Lau. These six women represent the first 30 years of perseverance and vision that grew the museum to where it is today.
The $10,000 raised at “Corks on the Concourse” will help ensure that IWASM continues to strengthen Northeast Ohio’s cultural heritage tourism industry and to serve communities through educational programming for years to come. IWASM is a nonprofit museum located inside Cleveland’s Burke Lakefront Airport. Exhibits are free of charge seven days a week. Guided tours and programs are available by appointment. STORY BY CYNTHIA SCHUSTER EAKIN/PHOTOGRAPHS BY ERIC EAKIN