Press Release: November 4, 2010

National Archives at Kansas City

National Archives to host 1968 in America exhibition curator Amy Wilson

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
For More Information: Kimberlee Ried, 816-268-8072

Kansas City, (MO)…The National Archives at Kansas City will host curator Amy Wilson for a discussion of 1968 in America, a traveling exhibition focusing on the tumultuous events of 1968, on Thursday, November 18 at 6:30 p.m. Wilson will discuss the four major themes presented in the exhibition, including the Power of Idealism, the Power of Music, the Power of the Bullet, and the Power of the Press. A reception will precede the lecture at 6:00 p.m. Attendees are encouraged to view 1968 in America prior to Wilson’s lecture.

From the assassinations of Martin Luther King, Jr. and Robert Kennedy to the Democratic National Convention in Chicago and the Vietnam War, the extraordinary events of 1968 witnessed profound change in social and political systems and confirmed to citizens of all ages that fundamental change was both possible and necessary. “The events of 1968 resulted in a division in the country that we are still struggling with today, particularly in the political area,” states Amy Wilson, exhibition curator.

Visitors will view a variety of artifacts including photographs, magazine covers, political memorabilia, textiles, record albums, and other objects that explore this pivotal moment in American history.

Wilson received her masters degree in public history from Indiana University – Purdue University at Indianapolis. She has worked in various positions in museums, most recently as Curator and then Director at the Chemung County Historical Society in Elmira, NY. Wilson has served on the boards of the National Council on Public History and the Upstate History Alliance in New York. She also served as a Commissioner for the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation. Now residing in her hometown of Atlanta, GA, she currently is co-editing the second edition of the Encyclopedia of Local History which will be published in 2012 by Alta Mira Press.

To make a reservation for this free event, please call 816-268-8010 or email: kansascity.educate@nara.gov.

Additional Information
1968 in America is a free exhibition and will be available for viewing at the National Archives, 400 West Pershing Road, Kansas City, Missouri until January 8, 2011. 1968 in America is a traveling exhibition from organized and toured by ExhibitsUSA, a national division of Mid-America Arts Alliance with The Missouri Arts Council and The National Endowment for the Arts. For additional information or to schedule a tour, call 816-268-8000 or visit: www.archives.gov/central-plains/kansas-city

The National Archives at Kansas City is one of 13 facilities nationwide where the public has access to Federal archival records. It is home to more than 50,000 cubic feet of historical records dating from the 1820s to the 1990s created or received by nearly 100 Federal agencies. Serving the Central Plains Region, the archives holds records from the states of Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, and South Dakota. The facility is located at 400 West Pershing Road, Kansas City, MO 64108. It is open to the public Tuesday - Saturday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. for research, with the exhibits open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information, call 816-268-8000 or visit: www.archives.gov/central-plains.

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NREKA 10-46

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