DAVENPORT, IOWA (April 15, 2023) — The Putnam Museum and Science Center is thrilled to open the much-anticipated updated regional-history exhibit, Common Ground: Our Voice, Our Stories. Partners, stakeholders, and members of the media are invited to the Putnam to experience the brand-new, permanent exhibit, which highlights the past, present, and future of the Quad Cities and its citizens.
Rachael Mullins, president and CEO of the Putnam Museum, says, “We are excited to open this newly-updated regional-history exhibit that will better reflect and serve all members of our community. This update will allow all people to learn about the diverse history of the Quad Cities and its people.”
“The reimagined and redesigned regional-history exhibit, Common Ground: Our Voice, Our Stories, is a wonderful example of our community coming together to tell the stories of our past while looking to the future of the Quad Cities,” shares Vice President of Museum Experiences Kelly Lao. “The exhibit engages visitors with new technologies and interactives, brings in the voices of leaders and community members through oral histories and collects and shares the stories of all of our citizens.”
Common Ground: Our Voice, Our Stories is the culmination of a three-year regional-history update. The Putnam Museum and Science Center has completely renovated the gallery and are displaying artifacts from the 250,000-piece collection that have never been featured before. The creation of this exhibit has been broadly collaborative. The Putnam partnered with Friends of Martin Luther King Interpretive Center, LULAC Council 10, and Azubuike African American Council for the Arts to co-curate the exhibit. Beyond these close partnerships, groups throughout the Quad Cities provided input and feedback and many had the opportunity to help shape the new exhibit. This intensive collaboration was carefully and intentionally orchestrated in order to ensure that the stories of all Quad Citians are told in the updated history exhibit.
“The Putnam’s new regional history exhibit Common Ground: Our Voice, Our Stories will enthrall Quad Citizens with stories and objects of our past and present, while inspiring them to think about how everyone can be a part of our future” shares Christina Kastell curator of history and anthropology. “The exhibit will help build pride for our joint accomplishments and the roles played by QC residents of all colors, races, and genders. We all have a story, and the Putnam wants to tell them!”
This work is made possible by: Arconic Foundation, the Jim Estes Estate, Hubbell-Waterman Foundation, Constellation, the Institute of Museum and Libraries Foundation, and the Regional Development Authority.
Common Ground: Our Voice, Our Stories will open to the public beginning Saturday, April 15. This exhibit is included in the price of general admission — $9 for adults, $8 for youth (ages 3–18), seniors, college students, and military. Through the Putnam’s Museums for All program, admission is $1 per person for households with the presentation of an EBT card. Admission is free for members. For more information, visit putnam.org/.
About the Putnam
The Putnam Museum, a Smithsonian Affiliate, brings to life a sense of place, time, and purpose to ignite human potential and inspire our diverse community to learn about and care for our world and all its people. For more than 150 years, guests have experienced the Putnam’s permanent exhibits, ranging from Unearthing Ancient Egypt to our family-favorite science galleries, as well as an array of programs and internationally-recognized traveling exhibits. The Putnam is dedicated to helping guests discover and explore in a friendly and engaging atmosphere. For more information about events and exhibits, visit putnam.org.
