"American Spirits: The Rise and Fall of Prohibition," a traveling exhibition created by the National Constitution Center, opened on November 6, 2013, at the Minnesota History Center. The exhibition showcased how Prohibition began as a movement to improve morals, but ultimately spurred an era of disrespect for the law in Minnesota and around the country. The 5,000-square-foot exhibition was on display through March 16, 2014.
The Minnesota Historical Society continues to raise awareness of its Legacy projects and programs through a comprehensive communications strategy. The strategy is aimed at ensuring that Minnesotans are informed of MNHS programs and therefore have the information necessary to visit our historic sites and museums, engage in our website, use our many services, and learn about the history of our state.
MNHS staff created communication strategies and promotional materials for Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund (ACHF) history projects, programs, and grants, including media kits for grant recipients. Increasing public awareness of ACHF investments will ensure that students, teachers, and the general public will use and benefit from them.
To hire a qualified and experienced HVAC engineer to evaluate the current system in preparation for better control of the Roseville Historical Society museum environment.
The objective of this grant is to prevent the Ojibwe language loss, to increase and enhance the understanding of the American Indian language, to ensure positive reinforcement of the self-image and sense of identity with the empowerment of American Indian children. This will be done by offering and participating Ojibwe language competitions with other colleges, as well as, by offering immersion camps, fluent speakers in the classrooms, and language tables. Additionally, the youth will visit maple sugar and wild rice camps.
Over the course of several months, the women's textiles and all quilts were evaluated based on condition, inventoried, photographed, rehoused, and stored appropriately. This included textiles in boxes, on a make-shift clothing rack, in drawers in the gallery, and textiles kept at the Alexander Faribault House.
In 2008, the Hennepin Medical History Center receivedapproximately 1,700 prints and negatives from the Hennepin County Medical Center's public relations department. Since their transfer, the images have been housed in standard file folders, photo lab envelopes, and banker boxes that rest on the floor of a workroom.
MNHS continued the Legacy Research Fellowships program in FY15 with a productive second year of adding to the body of knowledge and interpretation of Minnesota's pre- and post-statehood history.
Four scholars were selected as research fellows. Three scholars received $5,000 awards and one received a $1,000 award. The Legacy Research Fellows used the Gale Family Library at the Minnesota History Center to research their topics, which included:
To construct the Arts and Cultural Celebration Center at the Rice County fairgrounds. This heated, year round and handicap accessible building with ADA bathrooms and presentation stage will be home to arts presentations by regional individuals and performances by county arts and theater organizations.
American Indian ceremonies were held at Historic Fort Snelling in November 2015, marking the 150th anniversary of the execution of Sakpedan (Shakopee) and Wakanozhanzhan (Medicine Bottle) at Fort Snelling. They were convicted by a military commission for their participation in the U.S.-Dakota War of 1862. MNHS provided a community meal for the Dakota community immediately following the ceremonies.
MNHS continued its previous collaboration with Macalester College and the Somali community to add
an additional 10 interviews to those that have already been completed. The new interviews focused on
women's experiences.
Five traveling exhibits are making more than 45 stops in communities around the state in FY12 and FY13, giving more Minnesotans the chance to experience history in their own backyards. The exhibits feature freestanding displays, audiovisual and interactive components, and onsite and online educational programming. They are Minnesota on the Map, Minnesota Homefront, Electrifying Minnesota, Uncle Sam's New Deal and Minnesota Disasters. Two traveling exhibits were developed working with teens.
In the design phase, this new 5,000-square-foot exhibition will focus on the history of the explosive growth of the Twin Cities suburbs, particularly in the years after WW II, and the aspirations driving the suburban dream. This exhibit will open October 10, 2015, and run through March 20, 2016.
This 5,000-square-foot exhibit opened Oct. 14, 2015, and tells the story of the population exodus from the central cities to the developing Twin Cities suburbs
To educate fairgoers about the early history of the area. The Le Sueur County Fair will create an exhibit on the Native American and early settlers life in the area. The exhibit will include a large tipi, fire pit, artifacts, tools, hides, and more. Funds will also be used to host demonstrations on native and log cabin construction techniques, and drawing and painting activities for children.
Twenty high school students from diverse backgrounds participated in a college-readiness program at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities. Students learned high-level research and presentation skills while working with various collections in the Andersen Library. Students also learned how to apply for college, spent the night in a dorm room, participated in mock lectures with professors and other activities designed to increase their confidence and comfort level with campus life.
The Minnesota Historical Society continues to focus on broadening access to many of its Legacy-funded programs through the Internet. This funding supports the web development professionals who plan, build and implement digital components that are part of many Legacy-funded history projects.
The Over Here project will be a new traveling exhibit created by Minnesota History Center staff and focused on America during the World War I-era, 1914-1919. The 5,000-square-foot exhibit will depict the era as a dramatic time in American history when the nation grappled with massive upheavals brought on by social movements, mobility, and modernity at home, while exerting its growing military, industrial, and cultural influence abroad. Visitors will gain a better understanding of this tumultuous period
Through a competitive process, the Heritage Partnership Program awards grants to historical organizations statewide to support programs that will build the capacity of partnering organizations to preserve and enhance access to Minnesota's history and cultural resources. The program supports the creation and development of sustainable, history-based partnerships throughout the state.
MNHS is promoting the "Then Now Wow" exhibit at the Minnesota History Center to ensure that Minnesota families, schoolchildren and teachers are aware of, and therefore visit, the exhibit to learn about the history of our state. The marketing program to date is extremely successful. Family attendance increased 73% and school group attendance increased 19% from FY12 to FY13.
Developed for families with children and school field trips, and complementing the Northern Lights state history curriculum, this highly interactive exhibit explores the regions and cultures that have defined Minnesota over the course of the state's history.
The purpose of the project is to create a fresh introduction to the museum. The five panels that previously lined the wall outside the museum doorway were put in place nearly thirty years ago in the1980s. These panels have faded over the years and were in need of replacement. In addtion there was a desire to expand the time line back to the Paleolithic peoples who first inhabited the region in about 10,000 years ago.
To hire a qualified historian to complete an evaluation to determine eligibility for listing in the National Register of Historic Places for the Wadena Commercial District.
