Smithsonian Exhibit Comes to Durant
December 30th, 2009
DURANT, Okla. -- After more than two years of work by the Durant Main Street program and Three Valley Museum, a Smithsonian exhibit -- Journey Stories -- is coming to Durant from Jan. 9 through Feb. 19 at the museum, 401 W. Main. Hours will be 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday. There is also limited available for school trip scheduling and can be made by calling 580-920-1907.
Durant was chosen by the Oklahoma Humanities Council to host Journey Stories as part of the Museum on Main Street Project. The project is a unique collaboration between the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service (SITES), state humanities councils across the nation, and local host institutions. The exhibition is touring six communities in Oklahoma from June 2009 through April 2010 and appears for six weeks in each location. A grand opening celebration will be held at 11 a.m. on Jan. 9 at the Three Valley Museum in downtown Durant. Emceeing the celebration will be Sen. Jay Paul Gumm. On that same day, at noon, at the Upper Crust (located behind the museum), Wildwood Dean will be sharing stories about travels along the Red River. Immediately following Dean will be Ron Wallace to share his award-winning Native Son poetry. The venue, behind the museum, will also host Tuesday Topics and Thursday Topics unless otherwise noted. The "Topics" will begin at 5:30 p.m. each Tuesday and Thursday throughout the tenure of the exhibit. A chronological listing of special activities planned: Jan. 12, Dr. David L. Norris on "Establishing Durant"; Jan. 13, 10 a.m. at the Robert L. Williams Library, children's storytelling by Ernest Hooser; Jan. 13, Judge Joe Taylor on "Colbert's Ferry" and Margaret Taylor "Crossing the Border from Texas"; Jan. 19, Ken Rainbolt on "Butterfield Trail"; Jan. 21, Dr. Terri McKinney Baker on "Pioneer Women"; Jan. 26, Barbara and Bill Grant on "Crossing the Mountain Fork River into Oklahoma"; Jan. 28, John Davis on "Steamboat Travel Along the Red River"; Jan. 30, Saturday Seminar (see below); Feb. 2, Dennis Miles on "The Armstrong Academy"; Feb. 4, Kate Plunkett on "Carpenter's Bluff Bridge"; Feb. 9, Dennis Miles on "Three Valleys Overview"; Feb. 10, 10 a.m., Robert L. Williams Library, children's storytelling by Dottie Davis; Feb. 11, 5:30 p.m., at the Southeastern Oklahoma State University library, Dr. David Norris on "The History of Southeastern", and "Red Dirt, Growing Up Okie" by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz, 7 p.m., at the Robert L. Williams Library; Feb. 13, Saturday Seminar (details below); Feb. 16, Sharon Morrison on "Journey of the Magnolias"; and Feb. 18, Chris Lynch on "Building of Lake Texoma." Throughout the exhibit, the First Texoma National Bank (Main Bank in Downtown Durant at Third & Main) will host a special art exhibit put together especially for Journey Stories by members of the Texoma Arts Association. Students from Calera, Silo, Colbert, and Durant will contribute to additional displays at various local banks. Durant Main Street's Design Committee is putting together a pictorial history of Downtown Durant that will be presented in various businesses in the downtown district. The Saturday Seminar on Jan. 30 is a ticketed event. Tickets must be obtained from the Main Street office at 110 N. Second by Monday, Jan. 25. Lunch is $8, and seating is reserved. Those not wishing to purchase lunch are still required to obtain a free admission ticket in advance.The day will begin at 10 a.m. at the Choctaw Nation Headquarters with a welcome by Janie Semple Umsted. Myrtle Edmonds, a student at Oklahoma Presbyterian College (OPC) will lead a tour and share memories. Everyone in attendance will then proceed to the Massey Building in Downtown Durant to a luncheon hosted by Southeastern Oklahoma State University. The luncheon will feature a traditional Native American meal. Deborah Battiest, flutist, will play during the meal. Paintings from the Hogan Collection will be on display, courtesy of Southeastern. Ernest Hooser, a Distinguished Choctaw Elder, will tell stories of his family's journey to this area on the Trail of Tears. Dr. Dan Littlefield will conclude the special day with details from his research on the Five Civilized Tribes' Trail of Tears. The Saturday Seminar on Feb. 13 will be held at the Upper Crust. At 10:00 a.m., Janie Semple Umsted and Neal Taylor will share their artwork. The award-winning Durant artists will give the stories behind their painting. At noon, Larry Marcy will tell the history Fort Washita as it relates to the Bryan County area. At 1 p.m., Dr. Bill Corbett, Journey Stories Scholar, will help attendees understand the relationship of transportation on the region including the building of the Texas Highway. Dennis Miles will give a local history of railroads at 2 p.m., and Dan Moore will conclude the day's special events at 3 p.m. with a discussion on aviation at Eaker Field. Journey Stories is an exhibit fabricated by the Smithsonian Institution that examines the human drive for freedom. The story is diverse and focuses on immigrants coming in search of promise in a new country. These are stories of individuals and families relocating in search of fortune, their own homestead, or employment, the harrowing journeys of Africans and Native Americans forced to move; and, of course, fun and frolic on the open road. Journey Stories will use engaging images with audio and artifacts to tell the individual stories that illustrate the critical roles travel and movement have played in building our diverse American society. Communities are encouraged to tell their own special journey story through exhibits and other public programming thus customizing the national theme to Oklahoma's unique history. To learn more about Journey Stories and other Museum on Main Street Exhibitions, visit www.journeystories.org or www.museumonmainstreet.org. Support for Museum on Main Street has been provided by the United States Congress, the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, and the Hearst Foundation.