{"id":8164,"date":"2022-07-20T09:48:06","date_gmt":"2022-07-20T14:48:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/all-in-wisconsin-new\/?post_type=campus_story&#038;p=8164"},"modified":"2022-07-20T09:48:06","modified_gmt":"2022-07-20T14:48:06","slug":"uw-eau-claire-public-history-students-create-exhibit-in-irvine-park-welcome-center-in-chippewa-falls","status":"publish","type":"campus_story","link":"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/all-in-wisconsin\/story\/uw-eau-claire-public-history-students-create-exhibit-in-irvine-park-welcome-center-in-chippewa-falls\/","title":{"rendered":"UW-Eau Claire public history students create exhibit in Irvine Park Welcome Center in Chippewa Falls"},"content":{"rendered":"<figure id=\"attachment_8169\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-8169\" style=\"width: 1024px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-large wp-image-8169\" src=\"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/all-in-wisconsin-new\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/378\/2022\/07\/EAU_exhibits-1024x684.jpg\" alt=\"Photo of UW-Eau Claire public history graduate students Jordan Stish (left) and Alexi Linder discussing the exhibit they helped create in the Irvine Park Welcome Center in Chippewa Falls. (Photo by Shane Opatz)\" width=\"1024\" height=\"684\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-8169\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">UW-Eau Claire public history graduate students Jordan Stish (left) and Alexi Linder discuss the exhibit they helped create in the Irvine Park Welcome Center in Chippewa Falls. (Photo by Shane Opatz)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Visitors to Irvine Park in Chippewa Falls now can learn about the history of the city and park thanks to an exhibit in the park\u2019s Welcome Center that was created by a public history class at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s a beautiful space and the plan always had been to have an exhibit there,\u201d Dr. Cheryl Jim\u00e9nez Frei, assistant professor of history at UW-Eau Claire, says of the Irvine Park Welcome Center. \u201cHowever, the park lacked the resources and staff to get such a large exhibit project, which requires a lot of planning and specific skills, off the ground. So, that\u2019s where we came in.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Ten undergraduate and four graduate students in Jim\u00e9nez Frei\u2019s \u201cSeminar in Public History\u201d course completed the project during UW-Eau Claire\u2019s spring semester.<\/p>\n<p>The Blugold-created exhibit opened Memorial Day weekend to rave reviews by visitors and local officials, says John Jim\u00e9nez, the director of Chippewa Falls parks, recreation and forestry.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s extremely impressive,\u201d Jim\u00e9nez says of the students\u2019 work. \u201cI\u2019m floored with how it all came out. I had an idea of what it would look like, but seeing it and walking through the history of Chippewa Falls, the park system and Irvine Park is simply amazing.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The new exhibit fills a space that had mostly been empty since the Welcome Center was constructed in 2016. There were a few artifacts from the park&#8217;s collections on display, but without interpretation.<\/p>\n<p>Now, thanks to the students, park visitors can enjoy a well-researched exhibit that tells the story of Irvine Park from the Indigenous history of the land before the park&#8217;s founding, to the present day. It highlights the park\u2019s strong roots in the community and connects local history to a larger national story.<\/p>\n<p>Graduate students in the class also created educational and interpretive materials for the &#8220;Learning Pod&#8221; in the Welcome Center, a place for young visitors and families to learn about the park\u2019s history, ecosystem and the importance of conservation.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe created a space for all ages to gather and to learn,\u201d says Alexis Linder, a public history graduate student from Ellsworth who now is an intern at Irvine Park. \u201cThere is something here for kids and adults, and for people who have lived here all their lives and for visitors to the area.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The timeline for the project was tight, but the students remained focused and optimistic, using their creativity, critical thinking and intellectual curiosity to bring local history to life, Jim\u00e9nez Frei says.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cTheir research revealed things about Irvine Park and Chippewa Falls that will enhance understanding of its significance for years to come,\u201d Jim\u00e9nez Frei says. \u201cThe fact that this exhibit will live on long after this class is something the students should all be very proud of.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" frameborder=\"0\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube-nocookie.com\/embed\/kSbR9_VmYWM\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<h3>About the exhibit<\/h3>\n<p>The Welcome Center exhibit, \u201cTo Distribute the Enjoyment of our Natural Wealth: Civic Pride, Conservation, and Irvine Park in the National Story,\u201d features five interpretive sections, each with a theme that tells the story of Chippewa Falls and Irvine Park\u2019s place in local and national history.<\/p>\n<p>The themes are The Land: Indigenous Origins; The Turn of the Century: Logging &amp; Industry; The Movement: City Beautiful; The Zoo: Beginnings &amp; Change Over Time; and The Community: Past, Present &amp; Future.<\/p>\n<p>At the core of any good exhibit is a \u201cbig idea\u201d or a main message visitors should walk away with after viewing it, Jim\u00e9nez Frei says. For the Irvine Park project, the big idea was centered on the fact that the park\u2019s past and present reflect both local and national histories. The exhibit also focuses on the changing relationships between humans and the environment, and the importance of preservation.<\/p>\n<p>The students say their exhibit celebrates the many \u201cgreat\u201d moments in the city and park\u2019s history, but it also acknowledges the \u201cdarker\u201d moments.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe did not shy away from potentially controversial and provoking pieces, such as Indigenous lands, the minority experience in the area or animal welfare,\u201d says Andrew Beine, a senior public history major from Eau Claire.<\/p>\n<h3>A challenging and rewarding project<\/h3>\n<figure id=\"attachment_8171\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-8171\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-8171\" src=\"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/all-in-wisconsin-new\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/378\/2022\/07\/EAU_exhibits_WelcomeCenter-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"Photo of the Welcome Center, constructed in 2016 in Irvine Park, but which had been mostly empty until the Blugolds built the exhibit this spring.\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/all-in-wisconsin\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/378\/2022\/07\/EAU_exhibits_WelcomeCenter-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/all-in-wisconsin\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/378\/2022\/07\/EAU_exhibits_WelcomeCenter.jpg 640w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-8171\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Welcome Center was constructed in 2016 in Irvine Park but had been mostly empty until the Blugolds built the exhibit this spring.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Putting together an entire exhibit for such a large space in one 15-week semester was \u201cvery ambitious,\u201d Jim\u00e9nez Frei says, noting that it\u2019s common for the planning and execution of an exhibit to take anywhere from one to three years, or longer, depending on the scale of the project. \u201cI wanted to take on the challenge and I knew the students would be up for it as well,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n<p>Throughout the semester, the students learned and experienced the many steps it takes to create an exhibit, including research, interpretive planning, budgeting, funding proposals, working with multiple stakeholders, curation, design and installation.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt was the classic definition of on-the-job training,\u201d says Jordan Stish, a public history graduate student from Hibbing, Minnesota. \u201cIt was stressful, but seeing it completed made all the stress worth it. I would do it all over again if given the chance.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>In addition to a tight timeline, students also had a small budget. Exhibits similar in size to the Irvine Park project often cost more than a $100,000, but the Blugolds had an $8,000 budget, Stish says.<\/p>\n<p>Students appreciated the funding from the Chippewa Falls Park Board and were ready to \u201cDIY everything\u201d to make it work, Linder says. Fortunately, community involvement was great, with everyone from the park\u2019s zookeepers to friends to a local woodworker all stepping in to help by donating personal items or sharing their time and talents, Linder says, noting that her dad, a carpenter, built the display stands used throughout the exhibit.<\/p>\n<p>In addition to the public history students, Blugolds from other academic disciplines also contributed to the project. For example, people associated with UW-Eau Claire\u2019s education programs helped the history students understand how to best share information with younger children, Linder says.<\/p>\n<p>Lexi Zellmer, who graduated in May with a degree in graphic design, worked with the public history students to design all the exhibit labels. She also designed new logos for Irvine Park and the Zoo.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI cannot say enough about how great it was to have Lexi on the project, not only for the quality of her work, but also for the value of having public history students see the necessity of working across disciplines within this field,\u201d Jim\u00e9nez Frei says.<\/p>\n<h3>Incredible learning opportunity<\/h3>\n<p>The goal of the public history seminar course is to give students opportunities to work as public historians in practice \u2014 to take what they\u2019ve learned and apply it to the real world, Jim\u00e9nez Frei says.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s one thing to talk in the classroom about the diverse aspects of public historians\u2019 work in different areas of the field and the challenges that may arise, but it\u2019s a whole other thing for students to experience it, Jim\u00e9nez Frei says. In this project, students worked on problem solving, critical thinking, research, sharing authority with multiple stakeholders, working with community partners and other key skills they\u2019ll need in the future, no matter what area of the field they enter, she says.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhile it was ambitious to complete the exhibit in 15 weeks, I knew the students could do it,\u201d Jim\u00e9nez Frei says.<\/p>\n<p>Beine appreciates that the project got him \u201cinto spaces that public historians will regularly be working in,\u201d allowing him to experience every aspect of an exhibit from early inception and research to the actual implementation of display pieces.<\/p>\n<p>Building an exhibit from the ground up also taught him the value of collaboration and teamwork, Beine says. Much of the students\u2019 in-class time involved open discussions and brainstorming, he says.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe project fit right into what I hope to do in my future,\u201d Beine says. \u201cI&#8217;m considering pursuing a graduate degree after my undergraduate studies, but museum work is where I ultimately want to land. This project involved a lot of what museum work entails, making it not only a great resume piece but also an experience to personally build upon.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Stish also says the project will help her in her future career, especially since it offered her the rare opportunity to be part of a project from the \u201cvery beginning to the very end.\u201d The experience solidified her plans to be an exhibit designer in a museum, she says.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cGetting to really be in the driver\u2019s seat is not something students often get to do in such a comprehensive project,\u201d Stish says. \u201cIt broadened my skills and my portfolio by giving me experience in everything from research to curation to community engagement and public relations.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Linder agrees, saying being part of a large exhibit project that began with a \u201cblank slate\u201d will impress potential employers as she begins her career as a historian. She hopes to work for a museum in an administration role, building connections with stakeholders, visitors and others.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhen I go into a job interview and say there was nothing there and now here is this great exhibit we created, it\u2019s going to be huge for me,\u201d Linder says.<\/p>\n<h3>Looking ahead<\/h3>\n<figure class=\"right portrait storyimage\"><figcaption>John Jim\u00e9nez, director of Chippewa Falls parks, recreation and forestry<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Given what students accomplished in the Welcome Center, Jim\u00e9nez already is looking for other opportunities to involve UW-Eau Claire students in parks projects in Chippewa Falls, saying a \u201ccontinuing relationship with UW-Eau Claire will benefit us and the students.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Future projects may include adding to the Welcome Center exhibit, which Jim\u00e9nez describes as a \u201cwork in progress.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis is my first time collaborating with UW-Eau Claire and I have only positive things to say,\u201d Jim\u00e9nez says. \u201cAfter we connected, I knew something special was going to happen but didn\u2019t know how special. I\u2019m excited about what\u2019s here and about more collaborations in the future.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBuilding these community bridges and having a resource like UW-Eau Claire in our backyard is a tremendous opportunity. It\u2019s a partnership I hope will be here for a very long time.\u201d<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p>Written by Judy Berthiaume<\/p>\n<p>Video by Jesse Yang<\/p>\n<p>Link to original story: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.uwec.edu\/news\/news\/public-history-students-create-exhibit-in-irvine-park-welcome-center-in-chippewa-falls-5211\/\">https:\/\/www.uwec.edu\/news\/news\/public-history-students-create-exhibit-in-irvine-park-welcome-center-in-chippewa-falls-5211\/<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Visitors to Irvine Park in Chippewa Falls now can learn about the history of the city and park thanks to an exhibit in the park\u2019s Welcome Center that was created by a public history class at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire. \u201cIt\u2019s a beautiful space and the plan always had been to have an exhibit [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":8169,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","institution":[96],"story_category":[],"class_list":["post-8164","campus_story","type-campus_story","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","institution-uw-eau-claire"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/all-in-wisconsin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/campus_story\/8164","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/all-in-wisconsin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/campus_story"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/all-in-wisconsin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/campus_story"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/all-in-wisconsin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/15"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/all-in-wisconsin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8164"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/all-in-wisconsin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/8169"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/all-in-wisconsin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8164"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"institution","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/all-in-wisconsin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/institution?post=8164"},{"taxonomy":"story_category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/all-in-wisconsin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/story_category?post=8164"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}