Contact: Kara O’Keeffe
Kara.okeeffe@wisconsinhistory.
608-261-9596
Madison, Wis. – On June 8, the Madison and surrounding community will have an opportunity to share their thoughts and ideas with the Wisconsin Historical Society as we seek to create a modern, state-of-the-art, and inclusive statewide history museum on the Capitol Square in Madison that connects and tells the stories of all Wisconsinites.
The event is free and open to the public and will take place at the Badger Rock Neighborhood Center from 2:30-4:00 pm (doors open at 2:00 pm). Guests can pre-register here or come on the day of the event.
“The new state history museum project is about more than bricks and mortar and will connect the stories of Wisconsinites from all 72 counties,” said Christian Overland, Ruth and Hartley Barker Director of the Wisconsin Historical Society. “The input we receive at these public workshops will help shape future exhibits and storylines and this is a rare opportunity for the public to provide their vision of how the new museum can represent Wisconsin and their history to create relevant stories that have local significance and national impact.”
The event will start with an introduction to the new museum project. Guests will hear from Overland and then participate in workshops that will help develop feedback and conversations on current exhibit design concepts, what makes their community unique and how a state history museum could serve their community.
The Society is traveling the state and will be holding over 40 community listening sessions as well as 14 Native Nations engagement sessions and listening sessions with students. More information can be found at wihist.org/yourvoice.
“As we hold more listening workshops across the state, we have learned that many communities want to experience their stories in a new history museum,” Overland continued. “We also want to understand how we can better serve our audiences in their towns and cities because we believe that everyone should feel welcomed in this museum when they visit in person and participate digitally.”
The Wisconsin Historical Society has been working towards building a new $120 million, 100,000-square-foot museum for more than 20 years. The new museum will more than double exhibition space and include state-of-the-art technology while providing learning, meeting and flexible spaces. The new museum will reach and connect people all across the state through distance learning technology and exciting, modern exhibits.
For more information on the Wisconsin Historical Society visit wisconsinhistory.org.
About Wisconsin Historical Society
The Wisconsin Historical Society, founded in 1846, ranks as one of the largest, most active and most diversified state historical societies in the nation. As both a state agency and a private membership organization, its mission is to help people connect to the past by collecting, preserving and sharing stories. The Wisconsin Historical Society serves millions of people every year through a wide range of sites, programs and services. For more information, visit www.wisconsinhistory.org
