Two projects commemorating Missouri’s bicentennial in 2021 need your help. The My Missouri 2021 Photograph Project and the Missouri Bicentennial Quilt are both seeking submissions from Missourians in every single county to ensure the final results will be truly representative of the Show-Me State. Accepted submissions will become a permanent part of Missouri’s historical record after touring the state in traveling exhibits during 2020 and 2021.
The My Missouri 2021 Photograph Project invites professional and amateur photographers to capture and share images of unique and meaningful aspects of place in Missouri. Submissions are due November 1, 2019. Two hundred photographs will be selected for the traveling exhibition as well as a digital showcase on missouri2021.org. The images will also be added to the State Historical Society of Missouri’s permanent Bicentennial Collection.
“Photographs provide a window into a time that is really irreplaceable for people trying to understand a specific place and its culture,” Anne Cox, SHSMO photograph archivist, said. “The images from the My Missouri Photo Project will be invaluable to future students, family historians, and scholarly researchers hoping to better understand what the Show-Me State is like today. Plus, we hope it preserves images of places that might otherwise go undocumented.”
Learn More about My Missouri 2021
The Missouri Bicentennial Quilt, a collaborative project of the State Historical Society of Missouri and the Missouri Star Quilt Company, also invites submissions, which are due before September 2, 2019. Individual quilters and quilting organizations are encouraged to submit blocks expressing unique characteristics of Missouri culture and style. Submissions should be 6.5-inch squares, as blocks will be finished at 6 x 6 inches. Entries should have no embellishments, contain no copyrighted images, and be made of 100 percent cotton fabric. A description of the block and its significance to Missouri must accompany each submission.
“Using one quilt block from every Missouri county and the independent City of St. Louis, we’re looking to create a quilt featuring both the diversity of the Show-Me State and its solidarity,” said Michael Sweeney, SHSMO’s bicentennial coordinator. “Like a patchwork quilt our state is greatly varied, but I’m learning through visits across the state that Missourians are remarkable in the ties that bind us together—our communities, our innovations, and our ingenuity.”