The Missouri History Museum is a little behind me in announcing how they are going to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the founding of St. Louis in February 2014. But they did just announce 250 in 250:
St. Louis will turn 250 years old in 2014, and we recently decided to plan an exhibit to commemorate the anniversary. This exhibit gives us the opportunity to tell St. Louis’s history in a number of new ways and to invite our visitors to think broadly and deeply about the city’s past, present, and future. It also gives us the opportunity to take our History Happens Here readers behind the scenes of the exhibit-making process in a way we’ve never done before.History Happens Here is the blog of the Missouri History Museum. And it promises to take us along as they plan the exhibition.
What we know so far is this. Our exhibit commemorating St. Louis’s 250th anniversary will open in February of 2014 in the gallery that is currently being used for the Discover the Real George Washington exhibit.Apparently what they intend is to pack the entire 250 years into one exhibition rather than focus on what happened 250 years ago. I'm generally OK with that, although I think they are missing a chance to celebrate the old French heritage of the City. But I'm sure it will be a fun exhibition. Over the last number of years I've been impressed with most of the history museum's exhibitions.
Also, we have already decided how we want to organize the exhibit (this often doesn’t happen until later in the process). We will tell 250 years of St. Louis history through 50 people, 50 places, 50 moments, 50 images, and 50 objects. That framework provides us with a number of opportunities but also a number of challenges.
Still, it would be nice if the City or one of its major cultural institutions would sponsor a French Fête for the event. After all, February ... that's mardi gras time isn't it? And we do have the second biggest Mardi Gras celebration in the country. Hmmm.
