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| YOUR TOWN: Caroline | Culpeper | King George | Fredericksburg | Orange | Spotsylvania | Stafford | Westmoreland | |
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>> THE NEW ADDITION TO THE FREDERICKSBURG AREA MUSEUM OFFERS BOLD, INTERACTIVE EXHIBITS AND FRESH PERSPECTIVES IN TOWN, HISTORY COMES ALIVE
new additions to fredericksburg museum has bold new exhibits
Date published: 2/12/2009
BY ANDREA NEALON The opening of the Catherine W. Jones McKann Center on Dec. 6, 2008, brought a new perspective to downtown Fredericksburg--one that reflects local sentiment during the town's most historic periods. The center is a part of the Fredericksburg Area Museum and Cultural Center. Mary Helen Dellinger, senior vice president of collections and exhibitions, is proud of the museum and what it offers the community. "Our museum focuses more on the local experience--what life was like for civilians during the Civil War," for instance, said Dellinger. On the first floor, the museum's signature show is the Civil War exhibit, displaying scenes and artifacts from the Battle of Fredericksburg. It illustrates civilian life during war from the perspectives of women and slaves. Multiple interactive touch-screen kiosks recount the stories of soldiers, citizens and slaves who lived in our town during the war. The voices are all local--recorded by community members eager to contribute to Fredericksburg's history. Julia Frazie, a teacher at James Monroe High School, narrates in convincing dialect a slave witnessing an auction. The museum's atmosphere is welcoming and family-friendly, exemplified by an exhibit called "Portal, Passage and Power" that traces the development of the Fredericksburg area--from the era of American Indians to the bustling port town in the 19th century, up until the establishment of railroads. Bold, detailed scenes of fighting on Caroline Street, haunting images of the flood of 1942 and relics from the civil rights movement bring the past to life. Newer exhibits can be found upstairs--leading to a wall of beautiful, vibrant prints that reflect the ever-changing Fredericksburg community during the 20th century. Second Saturdays and tea The museum launches its new family series "Second Saturdays at the Museum" on Saturday, Feb. 14, 1-3 p.m. The series kicks off with a Colonial tea party, to be held in the historic Town Hall/Market House, and will include activities involving American Indian life, Fredericksburg at war, life in a river town and more. Preregistration is requested at $7/nonmember and $6/member. In conjunction with the series, Hallowed Ground Tours will be offering architectural walking tours of downtown Fredericksburg at 1 and 2 p.m., with each tour lasting approximately 45 minutes. The tour is included with museum admission. Andrea Nealon: 540/374-5779
Date published: 2/12/2009
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