Struggle for Statehood
Struggle for Statehood is a traveling exhibit commemorating the bicentennial of Missouri statehood created by the Missouri Humanities Council in partnership with the Kinder Institute on Constitutional Democracy at the University of Missouri, partners in the Bicentennial Alliance. The exhibit chronicles the three years that the controversy over Missouri’s admission into the Union was fiercely debated and reexamines the lasting significance of the conflict on a local and national scale. The exhibit leads visitors through the story of Missouri’s admission with accessible educational content, including historical accounts and stories of people that this controversy touched. The exhibit will travel throughout the state until December 2021. To learn more contact Claire Bruntrager, development manager, at claire@mohumanities.org or (314) 781-9660.
Our Bicentennial History: Missouri Through Primary Sources
Missouri State Archives, a partner in the Bicentennial Alliance, created Our Bicentennial History: Missouri Through Primary Sources in 2019 to celebrate the state’s upcoming bicentennial in 2021. Telling the story of the Show Me State through 200 primary sources, the online collection is broken down into six categories, including land, society, progress, adversity, leisure and people. From a list of supplies purchased by Meriwether Lewis as gifts for native peoples encountered by the Corps of Discovery to the ordinance abolishing slavery in the state prior to ratification of the 13th Amendment, Our Bicentennial History has something of interest for everyone!
The project was funded in part by Missouri Humanities Council, a partner in the Bicentennial Alliance.
My Missouri 2021 Photograph Project
Missouri is a state of tremendous geographic and cultural diversity. From May 15, 2018, through November 1, 2019, the State Historical Society of Missouri, a partner in the Bicentennial Alliance, invited professional and amateur photographers to capture and share unique and meaningful aspects of place in Missouri. Nearly 1000 photographs were received. The State Historical Society of Missouri has selected 200 photographs for permanent preservation and exhibition in 2020-2021.
Shelter Insurance® is the platinum sponsor of the My Missouri 2021 exhibition. The exhibition was designed by PRO Expo Exhibits, the gold sponsor for the show, and supported by contributors to the State Historical Society of Missouri.
Missouri Bicentennial Quilt
Since the pioneer days of the American Midwest, quilts have been a cornerstone of Missouri culture, fashion, and tradition. In honor of our great state’s two-hundred-year anniversary, the State Historical Society of Missouri, a partner in the Bicentennial Alliance, and Missouri Star Quilt Company, in partnership with the Missouri State Quilters Guild, teamed up to create the Missouri Bicentennial Quilt! With one quilt block to represent every Missouri county and the independent City of St. Louis, the Missouri Bicentennial Quilt showcases the unique characteristics of Missouri culture and style.
Show Me Missouri
Show Me Missouri is a state-wide collaborative initiative to document and commemorate Missouri’s bicentennial in 2021. This forthcoming digital exhibit will tell the story of Missouri and Missourians through the lens of 200 historically and culturally significant objects. Furthermore, the project will examine the comprehensive history of the state through a complex, inclusive, and critical interpretation. Each object will have an interpretative essay that will contextualize it in relation to the larger history of Missouri. Show Me Missouri will be a free and publicly accessible website for the use of scholars, teachers, both K-12 and collegiate students, and everyday Missourians.
It is our goal that Show Me Missouri can serve as a virtual and democratic space that encourages Missourians to reflect on our shared past, present, and future. Missouri’s bicentennial will, without doubt, evoke a sense of pride in the state’s history. But this landmark commemoration also can serve as a catalyst for residents of the state to reflect on our shared memory, identities, and histories. Show Me Missouri will offer an accessible space for everyday people, scholars, teachers, and students to celebrate the state’s diverse history and learn from its complex past.
The project is a collaboration between the Center for Midwestern Studies, the University of Missouri-Kansas City History Department, Springfield-Greene County Library District, and the Kansas City Public Library.
Missouri Pacific / Burlington Route Historical Societies Joint Convention
The Missouri Pacific Historical Society and Burlington Route Historical Society, both non-profit and volunteer-run organizations, will hold a joint convention in 2021 to commemorate the 170th anniversary of the first two railroads to cross the State of Missouri – the Pacific Railroad of Missouri and the Hannibal and St. Joseph Railroad. The joint convention will be held October 7-10, 2021, at the historic St. Louis Union Station and will feature historical presentations, a train ride, tours, and more. While membership in one of the organizations is encouraged, the event is open to the public. More details will be posted as plans are finalized.
Missouri Art Now: A Bicentennial Celebration
On the occasion of its bicentennial, it is important to recognize that Missouri has and remains a significant site for visual artistic production. The Arts Council of Southeast Missouri in Cape Girardeau, Hannibal Arts Council, Post Art Library and Spiva Center for the Arts in Joplin, and the Albrecht-Kemper Museum in Saint Joseph are collaborating to create Missouri Art Now, an exhibition featuring sixty works from artists throughout the State of Missouri, together demonstrating the vibrant visual arts culture in the state. A call for art has been issued and the artwork is due December 1. The exhibition is scheduled for March-November 2021.
Details about the call for entry may be found here.
Chillicothe Hall of Fame
The Chillicothe Hall of Fame connects the people of Chillicothe’s historic past to the community’s present and future. Current Hall of Fame members include Charles Frank Adams, Frank Bench, Olive Rambo Cook, and most recently, Maurice Dorney. These Chillicothe Hall of Famers were creative, adventuresome, visionary, entrepreneurial, community-minded, and lived their lives as examples for us to follow.
The Chillicothe Hall of Fame Traveling Exhibit will feature mounted and lighted 3-D laser-engraved crystal “trophy”-type awards with biographies for each Hall of Fame member, and these will be displayed at various public and commercial locations throughout Chillicothe for 30-day periods.
The Chillicothe Hall of Fame is a project of the, Livingston County Preservation Society, Chillicothe Historic Preservation Commission, and Main Street Chillicothe.
John Fulton Bicentennial Art
As part of the Missouri Bicentennial commemoration, the Mt. Vernon Regional Arts Council is working with Springfield artist and Mt. Vernon native John Fulton on the creation of a new art piece showcasing the history, life, and culture of Missouri. It is projected the artwork will be completed in September 2020. The artwork will be available for public viewing at the Mt. Vernon Regional Arts Council’s gallery at KeenBean Coffee Roasters and for purchase. Proceeds from the sale of prints will be used to provide Missouri’s county courthouses with prints for local display.
Show Me Hooked Rugs 2021
In commemoration of the upcoming Missouri and Santa Fe Trail bicentennials, Big Muddy Rug Hookers / Association of Traditional Hooking Artists will host an exhibition of traditional hooked rugs by Missouri artists, past and present, in March-August 2021 at the Missouri State Museum in Jefferson City. A formal call for submission is posted below. The submission deadline is December 31, 2020. All rugs will be hand-hooked and reflect a facet of Missouri history and culture. Guest lectures and demonstrations of rug hooking will be offered throughout the exhibit.
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