Wisconsin Artifacts Stir Memories for Southern Marylanders, Too
The College of Southern Maryland in partnership with the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) is hosting the NEH traveling exhibit Farm Life: A Century of Change for Farm Families and Their Neighbors, at the Prince Frederick Campus. Farm Life has been made possible by NEH on the Road, a special initiative of the NEH. It was adapted and is brought by Mid-America Arts Alliance.
The exhibit will be on display in Room 122 of Prince Fredericks Flagship Building every Tuesday and Thursday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 4 to 8 p.m., until August 12. The exhibit will be open during the final Twilight Performance at the Prince Frederick Campus, which begin at 6:45 p.m., on July 29.
The exhibit originated at the Chippewa Valley Museum in Eau Claire, Wis., and features artifacts and informative panels telling the story of farming in the 20th century from the perspective of the families who lived there. Although the display does showcase the various tools and practices of farming, it also brings to life the common traditions and activities frequented by farm families such as rural schools, childrens activities and community meeting places.
There are so many themes and images in the exhibit that everyone will find something that they can connect with, said CSM Library Director Tom Repenning, who was in charge of assembling each of the exhibits from wooden crates. With such an array of displays including real clothing, tools and numerous photographs ranging back to the early 19th century, visitors will walk away with a sense of understanding of how these families lived, he said. I want people to find it interesting and enjoyable, but I also hope that the exhibit stirs some memories or sparks an interest in exploring our connections to the land, both past and future.
The exhibit includes a farming presentation, Learning from the Land: A Brief History of Farming in Calvert County, by local guest speaker Kirsti Uunila at 7 p.m. on Aug. 3. Uunila, an American-born daughter of Finnish immigrants, earned a masters of applied anthropology from the University of Maryland in College Park, with a focus on public archaeology. She currently serves as historic preservation planner and as staff to the Calvert County Historic District Commission.
For information call 240-725-5312, 443-550-6199, or visit www.csmd.edu.
Calendar Listing
Farm Life: Learning from the Land by Kirsti Uunila. 7 p.m., August 3, College of Southern Maryland, Prince Frederick Campus, 115 J.W. Williams Road, Prince Frederick. Kirsti Uunila will give the presentation Learning from the Land: A Brief History of Farming in Calvert County as part of the traveling exhibit Farm Life: A Century of Change for Farm Families and Their Neighbors at CSM through Aug. 12. Farm Life has been made possible by NEH on the Road, a special initiative of the National Endowment for the Humanities. It is presented by CSM in partnership with the NEH. It was adapted and is brought by Mid-America Arts Alliance. It was organized by The Chippewa Valley Museum in Eau Claire, Wis. Uunila, an American-born daughter of Finnish immigrants, earned a masters of applied anthropology from the University of Maryland in College Park, with a focus on public archaeology. She currently serves as historic preservation planner and as staff to the historic district commission in Calvert County. Free. 240-725-5312, 443-550-6199, 301-870-2309, Ext. 5312 www.csmd.edu.