HCSCC Presents "Minnesota on the Map" Traveling Exhibit

Moorhead, MN May 31, 2013 – Come visit the Historical and Cultural Society of Clay County at the Hjemkomst Center June 1 through July 28 and see “Minnesota on the Map,” a traveling exhibition that features dozens of maps ranging from Louis Hennepin’s 1683 map of the upper Mississippi River Valley to a satellite map of Minnesota produced by NASA. “Minnesota on the Map” illustrates how maps have documented and helped influence our understanding of the state, from early exploration to the present.

Drawing from the extensive map collection of the Minnesota Historical Society, the exhibit features 23 reproduction maps and atlases, a video station with commentary by local historians, and a bin of laminated maps that allows for an up-close look at Minnesota geography and history. Plus, an oversized jigsaw puzzle map of the state will provide an engaging element for schoolchildren and other young visitors.

Select maps include:

• An 1863 map by Louis Hennepin of the upper Mississippi Valley
• One of the earliest maps of North America, showing Minnesota as a new state
• A map produced by the “Come to Minnesota Club” in 1947, highlighting Minnesota as a vacation paradise
• A video map of Washington Ave. in Minneapolis in 1882, “geo-rectified” with Geographic Information Systems (GIS) technology

The “Minnesota on the Map” exhibit is based on the book “Minnesota on the Map: A Historical Atlas” by David Lanegran.

This exhibit is on temporary loan from the Minnesota History Center in St. Paul and will be traveling to venues throughout Minnesota.

The Historical and Cultural Society of Clay County collects, preserves, and presents the history and culture of Clay County and the region. HCSCC also provides interpretation of the Hjemkomst Viking Ship, Hopperstad Stave Church Replica, and hosts traveling exhibits in 7,000 sq. feet of temporary exhibition space. The Historical & Cultural Society of Clay County is a community resource for 150,000 people in the Fargo-Moorhead metro area and serves an average of 30,000 visitors a year from all over the world.

For more information, call 218-299-5511 or visit www.hcscconline.org. The Historical and Cultural So ciety of Clay County is located in the Hjemkomst Center at 202 First Avenue North in Moorhead.

The Minnesota Historical Society Traveling Exhibits Program has been made possible by the Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund through the vote of Minnesotans on November 4, 2008.

Historical & Cultural Society of Clay County To Participate In Blue Star Museums

Moorhead, Minn.,-- Today the Historical and Cultural Society of Clay County announced the launch of Blue Star Museums, a collaboration among the National Endowment for the Arts, Blue Star Families, the Department of Defense, and more than 1,800 museums across America to offer fre e admission to all active duty military personnel and their families from Memorial Day through Labor Day 2013. Leadership support has been provided by MetLife Foundation through Blue Star Families. The complete list of participating museums is available at www.arts.gov/bluestarmuseums.

“Blue Star Museums is collaboration between the arts and military communities," said NEA Acting Chairman Joan Shigekawa. “Our work with Blue Star Families and with more than 1,800 museums ensures that we can reach out to military families and thank them for their service and sacrifice.”

“Blue Star Museums is something that service members and their families look forward to every year and we are thrilled with the continued growth of the program,” said Blue Star Families CEO Kathy Roth-Douquet. “Through this distinctive collaboration between Blue Star Families, the National Endowment for the Arts and more than 1,800 museums across the United States, service members and their families can connect with our national treasures with this unparalleled opportunity to visit some of the country’s finest museums for free.”

This year, more than 1,800 (and counting) museums in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and American Samoa are taking part in the initiative, including more than 45 0 new museums this year. Museums are welcome to join Blue Star Museums throughout the summer. The effort to recruit museums has involved partnerships with the American Association of Museums, the Association of Art Museum Directors, the Association of Children’s Museums, the American Association of State and Local History, and the Association of Science-Technology Centers. This year’s Blue Star Museums represent not just fine arts museums, but also science museums, history museums, nature centers, and 75 children’s museums. Among this year’s new participants are the J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles, California, Grand Traverse Lighthouse Museum in Northport, Michigan, the Totem Heritage Center in Ketchikan, Alaska, and the World Museum of Mining in Butte, Montana.