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| Robert F. Kennedy sitting in the Cabinet Room at the White House, Washington, DC. Jan. 1964. Courtesy LBJ Library. Photo by Yoichi R. Okamoto. |
Twelve months of relentless, culture-shifting, life-changing, memory-stamping events are explored in new national traveling exhibit.
ST. PAUL, Minnesota, USA — The year 1968 was a turning point for a generation coming of age and a nation at war, and the aftermath can still be felt today. On Oct. 14, 2011 a major traveling exhibit will debut at the Minnesota History Center in St. Paul, exploring the causes and legacies of the year’s barrage of events.
Developed by the Minnesota History Center, in partnership with the Atlanta History Center, the Chicago History Museum and the Oakland Museum of California, “The 1968 Exhibit” is an ambitious, multimedia exhibit that looks at how the events of the year fueled a persistent, if often contradictory sense of identity for the people who were there and those who came after.
“Discussions about the impact and legacy of 1968 are being had at dinner tables, in classrooms and on the streets of America” says Tom Brokaw, honorary chair of “The 1968 Exhibit,” former anchor and managing editor of the “NBC Nightly News with Tom Brokaw,” and author of “Boom! Talking About the Sixties.” “It is time to document this watershed year through the voices of the people who experienced it firsthand, and to hear from the next generation about what it means to them.”
“The 1968 Exhibit” Includes:
- A 5,000-square-foot exhibit with dramatic immersive settings and significant artifacts on loan from more than a dozen institutions and individuals; extensive media, interactive and hands-on experiences; and an innovative mobile-device platform.
- A website, www.the1968exhibit.org, that will be mobile-optimized and closely integrated with the exhibit, allowing visitors to browse additional content and easily share their experiences with others. Right now, the public is invited to can post their personal stories, observations and photos of the year on the website.
- A blog, “Covering 1968,” written by lead exhibit developer Brian Horrigan, that uses covers of magazines, books and record albums as points of departure for a wide range of 1960s issues, both large and small, political and cultural.
- A rich menu of public and school programs, including interactive videoconferencing classes that will reach students nationwide, a classroom speakers’ bureau, and an online curriculum in the form of a graphic novel used to engage students with primary source materials and oral histories.
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Tour Dates:
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“The 1968 Exhibit” will travel to all partner institutions as well as other key national destinations.
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Oct. 14, 2011 – Feb. 20, 2012
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March 31, 2012 – Aug. 19, 2012
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Oct. 6, 2012 – Feb. 24, 2013
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March 23, 2013 – Sept. 2, 2013
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TBD
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“The 1968 Exhibit” is supported by major grants from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) and the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS). “The 1968 Exhibit” has been designated a “We the People” project and received a Chairman’s Special Award for final design and production by the NEH.
Exhibit Partnerships
Each partner institution has brought to the exhibit artifacts, stories and other resources informed by their unique perspective on the year’s events. The Chicago History Museum has gathered materials related to the Democratic National Convention, while the Atlanta History Center provides resources related to Martin Luther King, Jr., Lester Maddox and the 1968 Olympic Games. The Oakland Museum of California‘s collections are especially strong in the areas of the counterculture and protest movements. The Minnesota History Center documents the careers of Hubert Humphrey and Eugene McCarthy, as well as the American Indian Movement (AIM), founded in Minneapolis in 1968.
The Minnesota History Center holds the collections of the Minnesota Historical Society. The History Center is home to an innovative museum, engaging public programs, a modern library, distinctive gift shops and an award-winning restaurant.
The Minnesota Historical Society is a non-profit educational and cultural institution established in 1849. Its essence is to illuminate the past as a way to shed light on the future. The Society collects, preserves and tells the story of Minnesota‘s past through museum exhibits, libraries and collections, historic sites, educational programs and book publishing.
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