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IM EWSLETTE,R
A PUBLICATION OF THE MISSISSIPPI DEPARTMENT OF ARCHIVES AND HISTORY
Fall 2013
Volume 55, No. 3
Museums Breaking Ground Oct. 24
Governor Phil Bryant and other elected officials, children and teachers, and volunteers from across the state will hoist shovels to break ground on the 2 Mississippi Museums (2MM) on Thursday, October 24, at 10 a.m. The public is invited to this historic day of festivities that will feature music, food, and children’s activities.
“Not only will these museums be a tremendous economic development tool for the state and bring visitors to our capital city, but they will also be an extraordinary educational resource for generations to
come,” said Governor Bryant.
Live music will open and close the groundbreaking ceremony and continue until 1 p.m. Performances will include gospel, bluegrass, blues, and more, representing the wide range of Mississippi music that will be featured in exhibits in the two museums.
Governor Phil Bryant Hundreds of
school children will travel to downtown Jackson for the groundbreaking. Before and after the ceremony, they will engage in crafts and games and visit a hands-on mini museum featuring artifacts and reproductions from the MDAH
collection.
“The groundbreaking celebration is a tribute to the communities across the state that have participated with us in the planning of these facilities,” said 2MM project director Lucy Allen. “Those local voices and artifacts make museum exhibits come alive.”
Former governor Haley Barbour, who worked with the 2011 Legislature to provide bond funding for the 2 Mississippi Museums, said “Our tradition of telling stories will be one of the hallmarks of these two state-of-the-art museums. This is one of the many reasons I am proud to be part of this exciting project for our state.”
Myrlie Evers, former chair of the NAACP and widow of
Myrlie Evers
Ground floor layout of the Museum of Mississippi History and Mississippi Civil Rights Museum.
slain civil rights leader Medgar Evers, said “Medgar’s story and the stories of thousands of others will be preserved and honored in the Mississippi Civil Rights Museum,” Evers said. “By understanding what others did, future generations will be inspired to continue the hard work for equality and justice.”
In August, the two exhibit design teams began work on the final designs. They are creating a full inventory of the artifacts and documents that will be used and identifying areas of need. These will be some of the most technologically advanced exhibits in the nation.
Phase one of the construction project has been advertised, and bids are due September 26. Work on the shell of the two museums could begin as early as November 1 and will take eighteen months to complete. Phase two, which includes interior construction, will last sixteen months. The Museum of Mississippi History and Mississippi Civil Rights Mueum will open in 2017 as the centerpiece of the state’s bicentennial celebration.
For more information call 601-576-6850.