Bicentennial traveling exhibition coming to Cullman County
Exhibition expected at Wallace State Community College April 15-May 24
“Making Alabama. A Bicentennial Traveling Exhibit” presented by Alabama Humanities Foundation made its long-awaited debut in Montgomery March 5, displaying 200 years of Alabama history and beyond. The exhibit opened in the capitol in the Old Supreme Court Library and will be on display through March 30 before going on a 19-month tour, which will include an exhibition in Cullman County at The Evelyn Burrow Museum at Wallace State Community College opening on or about April 15 and continuing through about May 24.
While at Wallace State, the exhibition can be viewed during the Museum’s opening hours: Tuesday through Friday, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The exhibition is also expected to be open on Sunday, April 15, from 2 to 4 p.m. (Due to the contingencies of hosting a traveling exhibition, patrons are encouraged to call in advance to confirm the precise opening and closing date.)
This impressive display blends artistic collages, interactive computer tablets and an audio medley of song and spoken word to tell the story of Alabama – from becoming a territory to achieving statehood. It also conveys a message of “Hope” in its presentation about the future.
Beginning in April, the exhibit will be on tour for 19 months, traveling to all 67 of Alabama’s counties. Four exhibits have been built, and they will travel the state concurrently so that all counties will be able to experience this historic event in that time period.
Organizers say AHF was a natural choice for coordinating the traveling exhibit with decades of experience through its partnership with the Smithsonian Institution’s Museum on Main Street traveling exhibit.
“Just like the Smithsonian, where not everyone has the opportunity to view a Smithsonian exhibit in Washington, not everyone can make it to Montgomery to see the…exhibit,” said AHF Executive Director Armand DeKeyser. “What we are putting together gives them that opportunity.”
In addition, host communities are assembling their own historical exhibits and collateral programming and activities to showcase their own history and put their signature on this event.
“It’s amazing what these communities are planning to celebrate their history and the 200 years of Alabama as a state,” DeKeyser said. “We are honored to be able to be a part of this epic undertaking, and we look forward to the next 19 months as it makes its way through towns and cities across our state.”
School groups are especially encouraged to attend they exhibition.
“We are excited to present the ‘Making Alabama Exhibit’,” said Drew Green, chair of Cullman County’s Alabama 200 Bicentennial Committee. “This a wonderful opportunity to learn about the history of our great state and we will be incorporating displays of local interest as well. Several organizations are helping us with highlighting different time periods in Alabama history from the Cullman County Archaeological Society to the local Echota Cherokee tribe. I encourage everyone to add a visit to this once-in-a-lifetime exhibition to their calendars,” said Green
A ribbon-cutting, and grand opening event for the Cullman exhibition is being planned for the Burrow Center at Wallace State on April 19. Additional details will follow.
“We have a great Alabama Bicentennial Committee here in Cullman County with representatives from all areas and organizations involved, from Master Gardeners to the D.A.R., and we are delighted that Wallace State has agreed to host the exhibition. The Burrow Museum has been a great partner,” said Green, who represents the Cullman County Museum. The two museums partnered previously on the popular and well-attended Smithsonian traveling exhibition, “The Way We Worked.”
The first year of the Alabama Bicentennial celebration, 2017, was themed “Exploring Our Places” highlighted locally by the placement of Bicentennial signs at different historic sites throughout Cullman County, along with an exhibition of landscape photographs by the late Bill Sharpton at The Burrow Museum, and many other events. This year’s theme is “Honoring Our People” and there are several projects under way in addition to the traveling exhibition. The Burrow Museum has just ended a popular exhibition of maps depicting the evolution of the state, and a sculptor’s show is planned for summer. Individuals are invited to visit the Wallace State genealogy collection to learn more about their family history or even to take a class on different aspects of genealogy research. The Cullman County public library is also planning a postcard exhibition. And a number of local events and festivals are taking on a Bicentennial theme.
For more information on Bicentennial Events in Cullman County contact Drew Green at the Cullman County Museum or follow the Museum’s Facebook page.
To learn more about the Making Alabama traveling exhibition when it comes to Wallace State, as well as to schedule a group tour, and for more information about opening dates and times, call 256.352.8457 or visit burrowmuseum.org.
Find out more about the Making Alabama statewide exhibit and scheduling at MakingAlabama.org.
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About the Alabama Humanities Foundation
Alabama Humanities Foundation mission is to foster learning, understanding and appreciation of our people, communities and cultures. As the independent, state partner of the National Endowment for the Humanities <http://www.neh.gov>, the AHF supports and offers programs that will enhance the minds and enrich the lives of Alabamians.