EXHIBIT OPENING & RIBBON CUTTING
MEDIA KIT
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ABOUT THE PUTNAM
Th e Putnam Museum and Science Center brings to life a sense of place, time, and purpose to ignite human potential and inspire our diverse community to learn about and care for our world and all its people. For more than 150 years, guests have experienced the Putnam’s permanent exhibits like Unearthing Ancient Egypt as well as an array of programs, a world-class science center, and internationally recognized traveling exhibits. The Putnam is dedicated to helping guests discover and explore in a friendly and engaging atmosphere. For more information about events and exhibits, visit www.putnam.org.
LIST OF SPEAKERS:
Kerry Smith Chair of the Putnam Board of Trustees
Rachael Mullins CEO/President, Putnam Museum and Science Center
Gaye Burnett Co-Founder and President of Azubuike African American Council for the Arts
Ryan Saddler Chief Operating Officer, Friends of MLK, Inc.
Mike Reyes Putnam Trustee, Parliamentarian LULAC, Council 10
SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
4:00 pm Welcome & Opening: Kerry Smith, Chair of the Putnam Board of Trustees
Land Acknowledgment and Comments: Rachael Mullins, President and CEO Partner Overview
• Gaye Burnett, Azubuike African American Council for the Arts
• Mike Reyes, League of United Latin American Citizens Council 10
• Ryan Saddler, Friends of Martin Luther King Interpretive Center
Recognition, Closing Comments, and Invite to Explore the Exhibit: Rachael Mullins
4:30 pm Ribbon Cutting Lead by Quad Cities Chamber of Commerce
ABOUT THE EXHIBIT
Common Ground: Our Voices, Our Stories is a new permanent exhibit and will be open to the public starting Saturday, April 15. This brand-new exhibit is the culmination of three years of hard work and dedication by the museum team to curate a regional history exhibit that more fully encompasses everyone in the Quad Cities. The gallery space has been renovated and new artifacts, that have not been on display, have been pulled out of the archives. This new exhibit focuses on the Quad Cities thematically as a region with a rich, diverse history.
QUICK FACTS
• The following community partners are among the many working with the Putnam Museum to co-create this new exhibit: Azubuike African American Council for the Arts, Friends of Martin Luther King, Inc., and LULAC Council 10.
• This is the first major update to the regional history exhibit since 1980.
• We have many new artifacts included in this exhibit, including new artifacts from the founding families of the Quad Cities such as Marguerite LeClaire’s sewing machine and a phonograph from World War Two that was on the SS Davenport.
• This exhibit is centered around themes of history such as Transportation, Civil Rights, Wars, Agriculture, and many more rather than being a chronological timeline history. The reason for this is to encourage the visitors to make connections between history.
• Guest curators have helped the museum develop the content for this exhibit so that it truly is a reflection of the community. For Example, John Deere wrote the labels for their section of the exhibit so that they could tell their company’s story and its impact on community members.
• The exhibit will include a section called Faith and Sacrifice which will feature an altar to Our Lady of Guadalupe that was formerly at, the now closed, St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Davenport. Along with a crown, on loan from Sacred Heart Cathedral, these artifacts are an important piece of the local Hispanic Catholic Community. Bishop Thomas Zinkula will perform a special blessing on the artifacts.
QUOTES IN RESPONSE TO THE PUTNAM’S NEW REGIONAL HISTORY EXHIBIT:
Highlighted below are several comments in response to the Putnam Museum and Science Center’s new permanent regional history exhibit Common Ground: Our Voice, Our Stories
“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 a part of our future. 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!”
Christina Kastell Curator of History and Anthropology | Putnam Museum“The re-imagined and redesigned regional history exhibit, Common Ground: Our Voice, Our Stories, is a wonderful example of our community coming together to tell the stories of our past while looking to the future of the Quad Cities. The exhibit engages visitors with modern 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.”
Kelly Lao Vice President of Museum Experiences | Putnam Museum“We are excited to open this newly updated regional history exhibit that will better reflect and serve all members of our community. This update will allow all people to learn about the diverse history of the Quad Cities and its people.”
Rachael Mullins President & CEO | Putnam MuseumAs the co-founder of the Azubuike African American Council for the Arts, an artist, and a longtime resident of the Quad Cities, I was honored to be a part of this beautiful Quad Cities local history project.
As a descendant of the African Griots, collecting stories illuminating our history and heritage is a natural part of our DNA. As filmmakers, we understand how documenting the memories and experiences of real people gives us a closer look into each other’s lives. Using the cinematic expertise of independent filmmaker Jonathan Burnett, we captured and preserved the life stories of African Americans and all who have made rich contributions to our community, helping us validate our existence as human beings.
In the words of Marc Morial, “There is no more powerful force than a people steeped in their history.”
Gaye Shannon BurnettAzubuike African American Council for the Arts
“The Hispanic community has a very rich history. This exhibit allows us to showcase our contributions to the QC community”.
Mike ReyesLeague
of UnitedLatin American Citizens (LULAC) Council 10
There is a Brand-New, Permanent Exhibit at the Putnam!
Common Ground: Our Voice, Our Stories Join Us as We Celebrate this Community Milestone
DAVENPORT, Iowa, April 15, 2023 — The Putnam Museum and Science Center is thrilled to open the much anticipated updated regional history exhibit, Common Ground: Our Voice, Our Stories. Partners, stakeholders, and members of the media are invited to the Putnam to experience the brand-new, permanent exhibit, which highlights the past, present, and future of the Quad Cities and its citizens.
Rachael Mullins, president, and CEO of the Putnam Museum says, “We are excited to open this newly updated regional history exhibit that will better reflect and serve all members of our community. This update will allow all people to learn about the diverse history of the Quad Cities and its people.”
“The re-imagined and redesigned regional history exhibit, Common Ground: Our Voice, Our Stories, is a wonderful example of our community coming together to tell the stories of our past while looking to the future of the Quad Cities,” shares Vice President of Museum Experiences Kelly Lao. “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 of our citizens.”
Common Ground: Our Voice, Our Stories is the culmination of a three-year regional history update. The Putnam Museum and Science Center has completely renovated the gallery and are displaying artifacts from the 250,000-piece collection that have never been featured before. The creation of this exhibit has been broadly collaborative. The Putnam partnered with Friends of Martin Luther King Interpretive Center, LULAC Council 10, and Azubuike African American Council for the Arts to co-curate the exhibit. Beyond these close partnerships, groups throughout the Quad Cities provided input and feedback, and many helped shape the new exhibit. This intensive collaboration was carefully and intentionally orchestrated to ensure that the stories of all Quad Citizens are told in the updated history exhibit.
“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 a part of our future” shares Christina Kastell curator of history and anthropology. “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!”
This work is made possible by: Arconic Foundation, the Jim Estes Estate, Hubbell-Waterman Foundation, Constellation, the Institute of Museum and Libraries Services, and the Regional Development Authority.
Common Ground: Our Voice, Our Stories will open to the public beginning Saturday, April 15. This exhibit is included in the price of general admission—$9 for adults, $8 for youth (ages 3–18), seniors, college students, and military. Through the Putnam’s Museums for All program, admission is $1 per person for households with the presentation of an EBT card. Admission is free for members. For more information, visit https://www.putnam.org/.
CONTACT INFORMATION
Jordyn Strange, Digital Media Specialist
JStrange@putnam.org | 563-324-1933, ext. 628
WE INVITE YOU TO:
Visit the Common Ground: Our Voice, Our Stories exhibit at the Putnam! Visit our website: https://www.putnam.org/exhibits/Common-Ground
MEDIA RELEASE 4/14/23
REGIONAL HISTORY UPDATE
COMMON GROUND OUR VOICE, OUR STORIES
Gallery updates and interactives showcase the compelling history and diverse heritage of the region, our shared experience, and our place in the world...as well as the legacy that we want to pass on to future generations of leaders, innovators, and newcomers to our community.
This exhibit and its collaborative approach to storytelling has been recognized as national exemplar through funding by the Institute of Museum and Library Services.
Exhibit updates and oral histories capture our diverse heritage
Interactive storytelling booth asks visitors to reflect on their own history and interest in the region
Contemporary History Gallery reflects the shared experience of our modern era with annual updates
River view reflection space inspires dialogue on important issues of our times
GIONAL HISTORY DATE INTERACTIVES
COMMON GROUND
REGIONAL HISTORY UPDATE INTERACTIVES
Partnership with Science Museum of Minnesota includes a new graphic identity for the gallery and a series of compelling visitor experiences
Partnership with Science Museum of Minnesota includes a new graphic identity for the gallery and a series of compelling visitor experiences
Engaging visitor feedback stations ask participants to reflect on their gallery experience and their own family's history
Engaging visitor feedback stations ask participants to reflect on their gallery experience and their own family's history
Contemporary History Gallery and fun storybooth technology engages visitors storytellers in our shared experience lived history
A Contemporary History Gallery and fun storybooth technology engages visitors as storytellers in our shared experience and lived history
Together in the Quad Cities display utilizes feedback technology to survey participants on a series of questions about our shared experiences
Together in the Quad Cities display utilizes feedback technology to survey participants on a series of questions about our shared experiences