Creation of a Web-Based Exhibit to Expand Knowledge About the Philando Castile Peace Garden

The proposed project has one goal: To tell a fuller story of the Philando Castile Peace Garden through a web-based exhibit. When implemented, it will change the amount of information available in one place to visitors and the world. The strategies that will help accomplish the goal are: (1) Planning, (2) Designing, and (3) Implementation. We are in the first stages of (Planning and Design) of the work. To date we have contracted with Exhibit Planner Steve Boyd-Smith of Amplifier Experience Design. The firm does Interpretive planning and exhibit design for museums and sites of history, culture, conscience, and spirit across the country. Collaborative planning meetings have been held with the Philando Castile Peace Garden Committee and pro bono consultants. The committee, consultants, and exhibit planner are all aligned on the work ahead and are grounded in the garden's history. Signage that will carry the QR Code that will guide garden visitors to the web-based exhibit have been designed by the Exhibit Designer and outdoor sign vendors are being contacted to determine costs for the type of sign material recommended by the Exhibit Planner. Dates have been identified for meetings with Content Experts, the garden Architect, and additional meetings are planned with the Philando Castile Peace Garden Committee. There are ongoing planning and alignment meetings between the pro bono Consultants, Exhibit Planner, and Exhibit Designer. We have not made any changes to our project goal.; The Philando Castile Community Peace Garden is a regenerative space dedicated to his life. The creation of the Web-Based Exhibit expands knowledge about the garden that lives on in perpetuity. The stated outcomes for the work were: (1) To tell a fuller story of the Philando Castile Community Peace Garden, and (2) Expand the amount of information available in one place about Philando for garden visitors and the world. Both outcomes were accomplished, however, the website is not in place for viewing. Web pages are being critiqued by a segment of Peace Garden stakeholders, including Philando's family members, university professors, the newly formed Friends of the Philando Castile Community Peace Garden Board of Directors, the Philando Castile Community Peace Garden Renewal Committee, and a variety of community influencers who have supported the garden's founding and development. The web pages, including a 15-minute videotape that takes viewers on a tour of the garden through the four seasons (spring, summer, fall, and winter) of the year, will be revised based on the combined feedback from stakeholders. We have visible evidence of outcomes via designed web pages (attached) and the videotape. The current measurement of our outcomes are the designed web pages, including the videotape, that are ready for placement once the comment and revision periods end. Since the March and June reports, the Philando Castile Community Peace Garden Renewal Committee, pro-bono consultants, the web-based interpretative history consultant, a host of scholars, and Black men have been deeply engaged in strategy work to accomplish project outcomes, including: (1) planning, (2) designing, and (3) creating the web-based exhibit. Steve Boyd-Smith, our web-based exhibit consultant, has been communicating with scholars locally and nationally such as Ren'e Ater, Ph.D. (Brown University), Christine Baeumier, Ph.D., Rose Brewer, Ph.D., Elaine Evans, Ph.D. (all from the University of Minnesota), Davu Seru (Musician, Composer, Writer), and Glorius L. Martin (Hip Hop Artist) to gain knowledge that has informed interpretive history planning, design, and creation of the web-based exhibit. Planning sessions have focused on preserving and honoring African American cultural heritage in Minnesota and highlighting the central goal of the Philando Castile Community Peace Garden Web-Based Exhibit: to have visitors to the website understand the role of peace, justice, equity, and healing in the context of the Philando Castile tragedy and the community's response to it. Individual interviews and planning sessions have identified physical and cultural assets that matter to Philando's family and community residents, and they have documented information of importance that is related to Philando's death and how the garden came to exist on Minnesota State Fair property. A detailed bibliography listing various news accounts of the Philando Castile tragedy and the work and creativity his life and death has inspired are part of the web-based exhibit. These bibliographic sources will subsidize what is know about the Philando Castile tragedy and what his life and death have inspired. Since earlier reporting to the Minnesota Humanities Center, we have learned that a member of the Friends of the Philando Castile Community Peace Garden Board of Directors has written a book about the community's response to the Castile tragedy. When published, it will be the first of its kind, concentrating solely on how community actors responded after Philando was killed. The book's author, a former Star Tribune reporter, is currently searching for a publisher. Community-created protest art from around the world, initially curated for an MIA Exhibit in 2018, and art placed in the garden, will be a small part of the web-based exhibit that tells the story of a place where a community tragedy occurred and how artists and writers feel about the injustice. The greater part of the art collection will become a coffee table book. Beyond the website, the Peace Garden uses a monthly E-newsletter, Seeds of Peace, to continue awareness of the efforts and actions being done in Philando's memory and to continue his legacy. Philando's memory is kept alive for people all over the world to experience through the e-newsletter and the Philando Castile Community Peace Garden Instagram and Facebook pages. These platforms have allowed the garden to reach over 700 followers on Instagram and Facebook respectively, and nearly 1,500 monthly email recipients. The platforms drive traffic to the Philando Castile Community Peace Garden website. More than 100 people visited the site in April 2023 and there have been nearly 700 total impressions over the last few months.