DAVENPORT, Iowa — After 43 years, the Putnam Museum and Science Center has updated its regional exhibit with 'Common Ground: Our Voices Our Stories," which opens on April 15 as the newest permanent regional exhibit.
It puts the story of the Quad Cities in the hands of its citizens with interactive elements that encourage visitors and residents to share their stories to help grow the exhibit for future generations.
"The exhibit engages visitors with new technologies and interactives, brings in the voices of leaders and community members through oral histories and collects and shares the stories of all our citizens," said Vice President of Museum Experiences Kelly Lao.
The exhibit explores the history of the Quad Cities thematically instead of chronologically.
The regional gallery was completely renovated for the new exhibit to showcase new artifacts from the museum's 250,000-piece collection, all of which have never been seen before.
"My favorite part of the exhibit is this idea of story, and connecting our personal stories with history," said President and CEO Rachael Mullins. "There's a wonderful area where we explore some of the artifacts of the collection, that are ways that different cultures represent their story and their histories."
It took three years to create the exhibit with the help of over 100 co-curators, including the Friends of Martin Luther King Interpretive Center, LULAC Council 10 and the Azubuike African American Council for the Arts.
"The Putnam's new regional history exhibit 'Common Ground: Our Voice our Stories,' will enthrall Quad Citizens with stories and objects of our past and present, while inspiring them to think about how everyone can be part of our future," Curator of History and Anthropology Christina Kastell said. "The exhibit will help build pride for our joint accomplishments and the roles played by QC residents of all colors, races and genders. We all have a story, and the Putnam wants to tell them."
Visitors can view the exhibit when they purchase a general admission ticket to the Putnam Museum, costing $9 for adults, $8 for children 3 to 8 years old and $1 for households that present an EBT card.
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