Crisp Museum holds Night at the Museum

Southeast’s Rosemary Berkley and Henry L. Crisp II Crisp Museum located at the River Campus hosted “Night at the Museum,” an open house exhibition that allowed visitors to view the historical artifacts inside the museum.

At the event, guests participated in activities such as origami, paper art, finger weaving, chainmail workshops and copper embossing. Tour guides also explained the significance of historical artifacts, with social distancing guidelines enforced. The museum included local artifacts from the American Civil War, artifacts from Native American tribes and an exhibit of the Great Depression.

“It is a good showcase for the museum,” Museum Manager Jim Phillips said. “It is a way to get a new audience in and see what kind of stuff is in the museum. We want people to have fun, hang out and have them do different types of activities. The warmth and the feeling of the event are what I enjoy the most.”

The museum has an exhibit with life-size depictions of Native Americans gathered around a fire having a conversation. Also, a collection of plates and a model of Southeast when it was called Southeast Missouri State Normal School are included in the displays.

With the advent of COVID-19, Phillips said the museum no longer holds in-person award ceremonies and is instead now doing them virtually. With the high school shows, rather than having everyone bring artwork into the museum, all will be selected online.

The art gallery portion of the museum is currently closed for construction; September 4 through November 8, the gallery will showcase the work of Robert Harding Jr. titled “Art from the Heart.”

For more information on upcoming events taking place at the River campus, visit the River Campus website or email the museum at museum@semo.edu. To interact with more events on campus, visit the Engage in 8 website.