DATE: 30 December 2009
CONTACT: Stephanie Turnham
PHONE: 254.933.5243

1968 IN AMERICA OPENS APRIL 10, 2010 AT BELL COUNTY MUSEUM

1968 in America opens on Saturday, April 10, 2010 at the Bell County Museum in Belton.  This exhibition traces the tumultuous events of 1968, a single year in history that rocked the foundations of American society.  From the assassinations of Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy to the Democratic National Convention in Chicago and the Vietnam War, the extraordinary events of 1968 witnessed profound change in social and political systems and confirmed to citizens of all ages that fundamental change was both possible and necessary.

1968 in America features four major themes, including the Power of Idealism, the Power of Music, the Power of Bullet, and the Power of the Press.  Visitors to the museum will experience a variety of artifacts including photographs, magazine covers, political memorabilia, textiles, record albums, and other objects that explore this pivotal moment in American history.

The opening day will feature activities, refreshments and presentations on the civil rights movement, the Vietnam War, and the Democratic Convention and student movement.

"This exhibition documents a pivotal year in American history," says Dee Harris, director of visual arts and humanities at Mid-America Arts Alliance.  "It's much more than a history lesson.  It's a message about how the power of idealism, music, press, and the bullet made fundamental changes in our nation in 1968, setting the stage for current events that affect America today."

The exhibition is organized and toured by ExhibitsUSA, a national program of Mid-America Arts Alliance.  ExhibitsUSA sends more than 20 exhibitions on tour to more than 100 small and mid-sized communities every year.  Mid-America is the oldest non-profit regional arts organization in the United States.  More information is available at www.maaa.org.

Highlights

Exhibition Name:
1968 in America

Description:
This exhibition traces the tumultuous events of 1968, featuring the Power of Idealism, the Power of Music, the Power of the Bullet, and the Power of the Press.

Organized By:
ExhibitsUSA, a national program of Mid-America Arts Alliance

Curator:
Amy H. Wilson, independent curator and director of the Chemung Valley History Museum, Elmira, New York

Essayist:
Charles Kaiser, author of 1968 In America: Music, Politics, Chaos, Counterculture and the Shaping of a Generation

Exhibition Contents:
63 items, ranging from photographs and magazine covers to political memorabilia, textiles, record albums, and other objects.

Commentary:
"This exhibit is equally compelling for those who lived through 1968 and those who were born decades later.  For everyone too young to have experienced these events, it provides a unique opportunity to relive the most traumatic year in America since the end of World War II."                        
                                                                                                                                               ------Charles Kaiser