Join us to celebrate the reopening of the Merwin Gallery on Friday, November 3, 2023 from 5-8 p.m. during the the 23rd Annual Art Walk and Downtown Bloomington's First Friday festivities.
The reenvisioned Merwin Gallery features almost 300 objects from the Museum's 18,000+ object collection. In this non-static display space, objects from the collection will be moved into and out of the gallery regularly so visitors can return again and again, always to see something new.
Similarly to most museums across the world, the McLean County Museum of History only displays about 3% of its collection in its exhibits. Support from the Merwin Foundation has allowed the Museum to effectively increase this percentage twofold, making the Museum's extensive collection more accessible to all.
The Museum's collection documents all facets of life in McLean County. From the indigenous peoples here pre-colonization to today, the collection strives to represent diverse individuals from every social, economic, religious, and ethnic background who call McLean County home. It also reflects the broader history of the United States, as the struggles and triumphs of our community are a microcosm of a larger national narrative.
Each object in the Merwin Gallery has a unique QR code linking it to the Museum's Online Collections Database containing more information, historical context, biographical information about the people who interacted with the object, and any related business or organizational history.
Previously, the database was only for internal use, but over the past year, Museum staff have worked tirelessly to create a public-facing platform and research tool. The Museum plans to formally launch the site in mid-November with over 800 featured object records, the Merwin Gallery section being one of many curated object selections.
Questions? Call us at 309-827-0428.