The public is invited for a free concert and art event hosted by the State Historical Society of Missouri to conclude Missouri’s bicentennial year. Missouri Celebrated: Commemorating 200 Years of Missouri Music, Culture, and Art will be held Tuesday, Dec. 14, from 4-7 p.m. at the Center for Missouri Studies, 605 Elm St., Columbia. The program includes a 30-minute, multimedia concert performed by Columbia Chamber Choir, a curated tour of artwork, objects and imagery at the time Missouri entered the United States, and the display of the Missouri Bicentennial Quilt that will begin its final exhibition in mid-Missouri for the bicentennial.

Presented in partnership with the Missouri 2021 Bicentennial Commission and the State Historical Society of Missouri, the Columbia Chamber Choir, under the direction of Emily Edgington Andrews and Nathan Lange, will honor Missouri composers, poets and artists in a unique concert with stunning photography of the state selected for My Missouri 2021 Photo Exhibition. Special to the program is a world premiere musical composition by award-winning Missouri composer Hans Bridger Heruth as a tribute to the bicentennial. The concert begins at 6 p.m.

A pre-concert reception, from 4-6 p.m., features the opening exhibition of the Missouri Bicentennial Quilt, on display at the Center for Missouri Studies through Jan. 28, 2022. The quilt is made up of blocks representing all 114 Missouri counties and the independent City of St. Louis, designed by quilters from or associated with each county. The Missouri Bicentennial Quilt has been touring the state since 2020. The exhibition will be extended into 2022 at State Historical Society of Missouri research centers in Columbia, St. Louis, Cape Girardeau, Rolla, Springfield and Kansas City, before it goes on a long-term loan display at the Missouri Quilt Museum in Hamilton in the fall of 2022.

Also, from 4-6 p.m., visitors can take part in a curator-led tour of Cultural Crossroads: Missouri in the Era of Statehood at the SHSMO Art Gallery with artworks and objects from the time of Missouri statehood. In addition, attendees can experience the virtual reality exhibit Missouri: Heart of the Nation, a collection of 98 paintings from the 1940s, developed by students and faculty at MU College of Engineering Information Technology and Museum of Art & Archeology as a project of the Missouri bicentennial.

Richard Bookstore, inside the Center for Missouri Studies, will also be open before the concert, with Missouri gift items for sale including recently-published books on Missouri to commemorate the 200 years of statehood.

The State Historical Society of Missouri is extending the exhibition of the Missouri Bicentennial Quilt through the fall of 2022. The quilt, featuring blocks from all 114 Missouri counties and the independent City of St. Louis, has been on display in communities across the state since 2020. The one-of-a-kind quilt was to finish touring at the end of the year. With overwhelming interest by the public to have more opportunities to see the quilt, the State Historical Society will be hosting an exhibition of the Missouri Bicentennial Quilt at each of its six statewide research centers: Columbia, St. Louis, Cape Girardeau, Rolla, Springfield and Kansas City.

In late 2018, the State Historical Society of Missouri and Missouri Star Quilt Company, in partnership with the Missouri State Quilters Guild, teamed up to create the Missouri Bicentennial Quilt. For the next year, quilters sent in 6.5 inch by 6.5 inch blocks to represent the county where the live or have a connection. Over the winter of 2019-2020, Missouri Star Quilt Company in Hamilton stitched the blocks together and gave the Missouri Bicentennial Quilt its final look.

“The Missouri Bicentennial Quilt has been one of our most popular bicentennial projects,” says Beth Pike, who has been traveling with the quilt for the State Historical Society of Missouri. “The quilt brought so many people together and tells a story of who we are in this state and how we see ourselves and our neighbors in other counties. Each block is unique just like each region in Missouri,” Pike said.

Once the exhibition at the State Historical Society of Missouri research centers ends in September 2022, plans are for the quilt to be on long-term loan with the Missouri Quilt Museum in Hamilton. The community is also home to the Missouri Star Quilt Company, which attracts tens of thousands of tourists each year to the small town in Caldwell County, northeast of Kansas City.

Missouri Bicentennial Quilt Exhibition: 

Dec. 14 -Jan. 28, 2022 – Columbia/Center for Missouri Studies

Feb. 1 – March 11, 2022 – SHSMO St. Louis Research Center 

March 15 – April 29, 2022 – SHSMO Cape Girardeau Research Center

May 3 – June 14, 2022 – SHSMO Rolla Research Center

June 15- July 29, 2022–  SHSMO Springfield Research Center

Aug. 2 – Sept. 15, 2022 – SHSMO Kansas City Research Center

Missouri’s bicentennial year brought many organizations together to create new and expand digital resources for learning about the state’s history. Students, teachers, researchers and the public at-large will find learning aids in many different subjects, including a new registry of past Missouri Artists, a digital exhibit that explores Missouri’s Struggle for Statehood, and curriculum that teaches the history of Missouri courts. History timelines, a Missouri Constitution quiz and online history exhibits are among the free resources available to help people understand Missouri and its past of more than 200 years.

The Missouri Timeline, developed by staff of the State Historical Society of Missouri, begins with ancestral Missouri from 1250 to present-day and offers photos, artworks, maps, manuscripts, documents and other images from the Society’s vast collections with narrative text accompanying each entry year. Missouri Encyclopedia and Historic Missourians are a growing digital resource that expanded this year to commemorate the bicentennial.

“Many hours of staff and volunteer time have developed these resources to broaden the public’s understanding of the culture, people, institutions, places and events that continue to shape Missouri,” said Beth Pike, who has been working on the planning of Missouri’s bicentennial year and helped to create the Missouri Timeline project. “While these digital resources were created and/or expanded to commemorate Missouri’s 200^th year of statehood, these links will continue well past the bicentennial year and, hopefully, engage people of all ages to learn from our past and to think about how we want to be as Missourians in the future.”

A new online resource Making Missouri created by the Missouri Historical Society in St. Louis offers primary sources, video content and custom plans for grades K-12. Another curriculum developed for elementary schools Four Years to Statehood comes from Missouri Council for History Education and covers the years between Missouri’s first petition to become a state and its final admission to the Union.

Additional Missouri history educational resources from Missouri Humanities Council, Missouri Secretary of State, The Supreme Court of Missouri, Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, Missouri Legislative Library and more can be found on the Educational Resource page on missouri2021.org.

About 1,500 Missourians have registered to travel to various part of the state as part of Missouri Explorers, an official bicentennial program to encourage families, individuals and small groups to travel the state, safely, and participate in fun challenges to learn more about Missouri history and culture. Participants in the Missouri Explorers program receive a button after registering and a list of challenges to earn additional buttons. Participants are asked to submit a photo of each stop in their challenge and to share their photos on social media using the hashtag #moexplorers.

There are 28 challenges in the program, including the African American Heritage, Boone’s Lick Road, Butterfield Trail, German Heritage Corridor, City of Fountains, Capitol City, Forest Park Adventure, Missouri Lakes, Missouri State Parks 21 for ‘21, Native American Heritage, French Colonial Heritage, Travel the Mother Road, Historic Gems of St. Louis,  Libraries in the Lou, Missouri Conservation, A Walk Through Time: Missouri Cemeteries, Winding down in Wine Country and the Way of American Genius exploring innovators, entrepreneurs and leaders who helped shape American history, culture and life.

“Throughout the year, we have added more challenges for folks to either travel across the state or explore a little closer to home and, hopefully, come away with a better understanding of Missouri’s diversity and unique cultural and historical places and people,” said Michael Sweeney, coordinator for Missouri’s bicentennial.

From now through November 2021, the Missouri Explorers Program is open to anyone who is interested in traveling and learning more about the geographic and cultural diversity of the state. The program is free, but registration is required to receive merit buttons. Guides to each challenge are listed on the missouri2021.org. Travelers are asked to abide by COVID-19 safety guidelines for each location.

A special, public event on Missouri Statehood Day, marking the state’s bicentennial, will be held at the Missouri State Capitol August 10. The public is invited to attend a formal ceremony on the South Lawn of the Missouri Capitol beginning at 9 a.m. Governor Mike Parson, past governors and other dignitaries will recognize the 200 years of statehood. The public is invited to attend the ceremony in person. In addition, it will be livestreamed on Missouri2021.org for those who wish to attend virtually or view it later.

In addition to the Governor’s Proclamation, in recognition of the bicentennial, the U.S. Postal Service will unveil the Missouri Statehood stamp. Remarks will be made by Governor Parson, U.S. Senator Roy Blunt, Gary Kremer, executive director of the State Historical Society of Missouri, Judge Paul C. Wilson, Chief Justice, Supreme Court of Missouri, Carrie Tergin, mayor of the City of Jefferson and co-chair of the Missouri Bicentennial Commission.

Missouri’s Poet Laureate Maryfrances Wagner will read a poem for the bicentennial and music will be performed by Missouri Choral Directors Association All-State Festival Choir and the Missouri National Guard 135^th Army Band. Following the formal ceremony, the public is invited to a Naturalization ceremony that begins at 11 a.m. in the first floor Rotunda of the Missouri State Capitol. Special bicentennial-themed exhibits will be on display inside the Capitol, including the Missouri Bicentennial Quilt, the Missouri Bicentennial Mural, My Missouri 2021 Photo exhibit, and a Missouri Timeline display.

The Missouri Bicentennial Commission is planning the State Capitol event, including an invite to communities to celebrate Missouri’s birthday Aug. 10 with an ice cream social.  The commission is asking communities to sign up for the statewide ice cream social at missouri2021.org; plan their community celebration and share photos using the hashtag #ScoopsAcrossMissouri. To-date, there are more than 150 registered events in 87 counties for the ice cream social.

The Missouri bicentennial is the theme for the Missouri State Fair, Aug. 12-22 in Sedalia. Our Missouri Celebration features special bicentennial events and exhibits, including Missouri on Mic, a project sponsored by the State Historical Society of Missouri and KBIA operated by the Missouri School of Journalism, to record stories of Missourians during the bicentennial year. In addition, there will be livestock shows and competitive exhibits, entertainment, motor sports and other regular State Fair offerings.

Missouri Statehood Day, Aug. 10, 2021, marks an important milestone of 200 years since the Missouri Territory became the 24^th state to enter the Union. More than 200 bicentennial events are taking place this year, statewide, with major public events scheduled in August. Events are being developed with COVID-19 safety measures during the pandemic and in-person activities will adhere to local and state health guidelines at the time of the event.

The public is invited to a free festival Aug. 6-8 on the MU campus in celebration of Missouri’s bicentennial. Most of the events will be at the State Historical Society of Missouri Center for Missouri Studies, as well as Jesse Hall and Auditorium, Missouri Theatre and Peace Park. The three-day festival will feature live music, art, theater, dance, folk arts demonstrations, bicentennial exhibits, a time capsule, tree dedication, book talks, Native storytelling, and more.

“Missouri has a long and often complicated history, well before statehood,” said Michael Sweeney, Bicentennial Coordinator at the State Historical Society. “We planned this festival to celebrate the diversity and uniqueness of our state as we study not only at our past but look toward the future of Missouri.”

Missouri music celebrating Blues, Folk and Jazz, will be performed on stage by Little Dylan Triplett, The Kay Brothers and the Burney Sisters, and Pablo Sanhueza and the Kansas City Latin Jazz Orchestra with Carmen Dence. Missouri Folk Arts will present Missouri fiddling jam sessions and the Music in the American Wild Ensemble will perform new works inspired by Missouri history, culture, and geography.

Students and faculty at the University of Missouri will have some of their bicentennial projects at the festival including a new virtual reality exhibit developed by MU Engineering Information Technology program to showcase the entire Scruggs-Vandervoort-Barney Collection titled: Missouri: Heart of the Nation collection at the MU Museum of Art and Archeology. MU engineering students helped to create a virtual gallery to see all 98 commissioned paintings in 1946-47 that highlights agriculture, industry and recreational activities in the state.  Missouri School of Journalism students at KBIA will also be at the festival to record stories from Missourians and get their thoughts on the state and its future. Missouri on Mic is traveling to various festivals this summer as part of the Missouri bicentennial.

The theatrical debut of a new historical documentary, Missouri! A Bicentennial Celebration, produced by Ozarks Public Television and KMOS-TV will get a sneak preview Aug. 7, 7 p.m., at the Missouri Theatre before it airs statewide on PBS stations Aug. 12.

In addition, special bicentennial exhibits will be on display including the Missouri Bicentennial Quilt and other bicentennial-themed quilts, My Missouri 2021 Photo exhibition, the Missouri Bicentennial Poster finalists, and a smaller-scaled version of the Thomas Hart Benton’s A Social History of Missouri located in the Capitol will be at the festival.

For a full schedule of events in person and livestreaming, visit Missouri2021.org. All visitors will be required to follow the university’s COVID-19 safety regulations at the festival.

Missouri on Mic traveling audio booth will be at COMO200 festival on July 4, 2021, to capture stories of mid-Missourians for the bicentennial. The project is sponsored by the State Historical Society of Missouri and KBIA. A team of Missouri School of Journalism students will record conversations with local residents about their thoughts living in Missouri and their hope for Missouri’s future.

Missouri on Mic made its debut at the True False Film Fest in May and recorded stories of mid-Missourians at the Columbia Farmer’s Market earlier in June. Missouri residents who are interested in having their stories recorded for the project can visit the audio booth at Flat Branch Park in Columbia, July 4, between 10 a.m.-2 p.m. In the fall, edited stories will air on KBIA and archived at the State Historical Society of Missouri.

“This project has been another reminder for our journalism team of the power of showing up, asking questions and just listening to people,” said Janet Saidi, KBIA assistant news director. “As our student journalists and professional team members engage with citizens at these festivals, we are all transformed by the process, and by the magic that happens by just connecting and listening.”

Using a sound-proof mobile booth that is cleaned between each user, along with social distancing measures in place, participants have a chance to safely engage in an intimate and meaningful conversation that will be part of the state’s official bicentennial collection. There is no cost to participants.

In August, Missouri on Mic will be at Together for ’21 Fest, Missouri’s bicentennial festival organized by the State Historical Society of Missouri and the University of Missouri-Columbia, Aug. 6-8 on the MU campus in Columbia. The audio booth will welcome visitors on Saturday, August 7, 10 a.m.-3 p.m., at the State Historical Society of Missouri’s Center for Missouri Studies. Missouri on Mic will travel to Jefferson City for Statehood Day at the State Capitol, Tuesday, Aug. 10 and will be at the Missouri State Fair, daily, in August.

Missouri on Mic is seeking any Missourians, longtime or recent residents, who can offer brief stories, anecdotes, and responses to provided prompts surrounding their experiences as Missouri citizens. Persons who are unable to attend the events scheduled for Missouri on Mic, can still have their story recorded remotely for the project by contacting KBIA at news@kbia.org.

The Missouri Bicentennial Time Capsule is seeking submissions from clubs, schools, community groups, businesses and government agencies to commemorate Missouri’s bicentennial this year. The deadline to submit to the time capsule is Aug. 10, Missouri Statehood Day. All Missouri-based profit and nonprofit organizations are eligible to participate. The time capsule is sponsored by the State Historical Society of Missouri and the Saint Louis Ambassadors with a goal to collect items that document Missouri’s past, present and future. The two organizations are asking for public participation in this project.

Organizations and businesses are invited to participate by contributing three items: one to represent their past, one to represent their present, and a note to future Missourians. Items should measure no larger than 8.5 x 14 inches – i.e., no larger than legal size paper – and combined be no more than a quarter-inch thick. All submissions need to be in printed form and not electronic. Click here to access the downloadable submission form and further instructions.

All participants will be notified of their successful submission and receive a certificate for participating in the time capsule. Contributions will be accepted through Aug. 10, 2021, and an event to commemorate the time capsule will be held Aug. 27, 2021 in St. Louis. Once sealed, the time capsule will be housed at the State Historical Society of Missouri until Aug. 10, 2046, when it will be reopened and shared with the public 25 years later.

What comes to mind when you think of Missouri? What has living here meant in your life? What do you hope for future Missourians? A team of Missouri School of Journalism students will be asking Missourians these and other questions at several bicentennial festivals and events this summer to record oral stories in a traveling audio booth.

Missouri on Mic is seeking any Missourians who are interested in the opportunity to record brief stories, anecdotes, and responses to provided prompts surrounding their experiences as Missouri citizens. KBIA News will produce and air stories from Missourians in a similar way as National Public Radio’s Story Corp series. Stories will be archived at the State Historical Society of Missouri and will be played before films at Ragtag Cinema in Columbia this fall. If you’re unable to attend the events scheduled for Missouri on Mic, you can still have your story recorded remotely for the project by contacting KBIA at news@kbia.org

Missouri on Mic kicks off May 8 and 9, noon – 6 p.m., at the True False Film Fest where Missourians can visit the audio booth at the island shelter pavilion at Stephens Lake Park. It will travel to CoMo 200, Columbia’s bicentennial festival, July 2-4. In August, it will be at Together for ’21 Fest, Missouri’s bicentennial festival at the Center for Missouri Studies and the University of Missouri-Columbia campus Aug. 6-8. Missouri on Mic will travel to Jefferson City for Statehood Day at the State Capitol, Tuesday, Aug. 10. Missouri on Mic will also be at the Missouri State Fair on select dates. COVID-19 safety precautions will be strictly adhered to visitors at the Missouri on Mic audio booth. Access to the audio booth is free at all events except for the Missouri State Fair where admission is required. If you’re unable to attend any of the events scheduled for Missouri on Mic, you can still have your story recorded remotely for the project by contacting KBIA at news@kbia.org

For a complete schedule of Missouri on Mic opportunities, visit the bicentennial calendar for dates, times, locations as it becomes available.