Browse Exhibits (14 total)
Curated by TJ Blakeman and Tom Kuipers
In 1867, a single seminary building was the only structure standing between the cities of Champaign and Urbana. That one building would give way to another and another. Over the next 150 years, Illinois Industrial University, later the University of Illinois, would transform and expand to more than 2.8 square miles and 647 buildings. Over that time the University has become a leader in educating the people of Illinois and the world.
Each student who arrives at the University of Illinois also arrives as a new citizen of Champaign County. This exhibit, A Second Home, looks at student life through the lens of their rooms. You'll discover how their lives are shaped by technology, social change, and community events around them. This exhibit walks you through student rooms at the time of the University's founding, 50th, 100th, and 150th anniversaries.
Curated by Azaan Qureshi
Abel Harwood (1814-1891) was a pioneer citizen of Champaign County and influential figure in several Central Illinois counties. As a representative of Champaign, Piatt, Moultrie, and Macon counties, he was actively involved in the drafting of the Illinois Constitution in 1870. Harwood is not only famous for his political contributions, but also was widely admired for his noble character who placed the happiness of his family above all else. He is also the former owner of the famous Harwood-Solon house, buying the beautiful property from its developer in 1869, living there with his wife and children until his death in 1891.
This exhibit is a highlight that showcases the life of Abel Harwood and the story of the Harwood-Solon house that so many in Champaign-Urbana have come to know.
This is an exhibition about the extraordinary history of Chinese scholars and students at the University of Illinois from 1889 to 2023.
This exhibition includes four main sections:
(1) 1889-1907: Before the First Student Came
(2) 1907-1949: Students and Scholars from the old China
(3) 1949-1978: Students and Scholars from the New China
(4) 1978 to Present: Students and Scholars from Contemporary China
Curated by Will Best
Curtis Morris (1920 - 1997) was a hard-working employee of the G. R. Grubb engraving company, a veteran, and an avid hobby artist who remained in obscurity until recently. Morris received his basic education at Champaign High School where he had his first experience with art while participating in the Coloresque Club. After graduating he entered the workforce joining the staff at G. R. Grubb Engraving Company in 1939 as a draftsman. His career would be interrupted when the United States entered World War II. He would enlist in the Army Air Corps, receiving aerial armorer and gunnery training before being sent overseas to the European Theater. After his honorable discharge, Morris returned to Champaign to continue his career at G. R. Grubb Engraving Company until its closure in 1992. It was during this time that Morris continued to create art exploring a variety of different styles and the creation of a series of architectural works of downtown Champaign.
This exhibit highlights Morris' life and accomplishments focusing on the evolution of his art that the public has never seen.
Marajen Stevick Chinigo was an artist, businesswoman, philanthropist, and master hostess from Champaign County. Through her paintings that are in the collections of the Champaign County History Museum and her contributions as the owner of the News-Gazette, her name is well known by many.
This exhibit focuses primarily on Marajen's Torre di Civita, a profound inspiration for Marajen's work as a painter and the location where she entertained several high-caliber guests.
Curated by Tom Kuipers
An online exhibit detailing the life and works of artist Louise Woodroofe.
The collection of letters belonging to the Chapin Family expresses the humanity of these individuals in a suite of eighty-two documents. This collection stretches from 1856 to 1895 through some of the most turbulent decades in U.S. history. Taken together they are the story of a family stretched over the course of nearly forty years.
It is a story of the home front, of a collection of documents that were primarily written by and for women. Their letters brought personal beliefs and opinions to life as family members expressed their feelings on numerous aspects of U.S. national politics and their daily lives. Of particular note is Mary Burt's letter "Dear Ones at Home" which discusses her feelings regarding the news of the end of the American Civil War and the assassination of Abraham Lincoln.
Through these difficult years the Chapins regularly penned letters to one another to keep in touch over hundreds of miles sharing news of life changes and loss. The Chapins were involved in Champaign County's first forays into public education and bring new insights regarding the lives of school teachers in mid 1800s Central Illinois.
Curated by TJ Blakeman and Tara Leininger
Sixteen days after the New York Stock Exchange began to collapse on October 26, 1929, throngs of spectators and national dignitaries gathered in Champaign for the much anticipated Illinois vs. Army football game. Later that evening, the young and wealthy socialite Henry Harris hosted an opulent party at his home at 809 West Church Street. Just before 11:00 PM, four assailants entered the mansion and relieved the guests of over $30,000 in cash, furs, and jewelry. The night ended with one assailant killed, one officer injured, and three bandits on the run. Today that heist would equal nearly $500,000. The brazen heist went down in Champaign County history and marked the local end to the roaring 20s.
"The Great Harris Mansion: Opulence to Depression, 1929-1933" showcases the historic Illini football game, the disastrous mansion heist, and the ensuing arrests, all amidst the growing economic crisis in Champaign County going into the 1930s, exploring the opulence of the party in contrast with the start of the Great Depression.
All items are depicted in this online exhibits through photographs. Various sections throughout the exhibit include multiple images, which can explored by clicking on the photographs.
Curated by Perry Morris and edited by Philo Wang and Connor Monson
The short life of Urbana's Illinois Theatre began with the city's citizens rallying together to create a first-class theatre. There were years of success with appearances by famous actors and Urbana's best home-grown talent, followed by years of struggle competing with the newer theatres opened in neighboring Champaign as well as the growing popularity of movies. The Illinois Theatre came to an end after a few years as the local headquarters of the Ku Klux Klan.
All phases are covered in this exhibit as history includes events that are quite unpleasant but must not be ignored to fully understand where we came from.
Physical Exhibition Curated by Madison Luckey / Digital Exhibit Curated by Harrison Biggs
In 1893, a group of affluent Champaign-Urbana women set out to make a positive change to their community. This effort led to the 1895 establishment of what would later become the Burnham City Hospital, the first hospital in Champaign County. In 1904, the hospital established the Julia F. Burnham school of nursing.
Over the hospital's almost 100 years of operation it lead the county's response to multiple epidemics, educated over 800 new nurses, and provided care to thousands of Champaign-Urbana Residents. This exhibit traces the history of the hospital and those who worked, learned and lived there from the hospitals conception up to its demolition in 2004.