State Historical Society of Iowa Press Release

DCA announces community history award to Muscatine Art Center

Civil War exhibit recognized for increasing awareness of Iowa history

DES MOINES – The Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs today announced the Muscatine Art Center has received a community history award for an exhibit about Muscatine and the U.S. Civil War.

The State Historical Society of Iowa (SHSI) Board of Trustees awarded the 2011 Loren Horton Community History Award to the Muscatine Art Center for the exhibit, “Muscatine and the Civil War: A Sesquicentennial Commemoration.” The award recognizes the best project that increases the awareness of and participation in Iowa history at the local level. SHSI is a division of the Department of Cultural Affairs.

“Muscatine and the Civil War” details the role that Muscatine citizens played during the war, illustrated by objects from the Muscatine Art Center’s collection, including 117 letters written by Private Daniel J. Parvin to his wife and relatives. The exhibit and programs, including curriculum materials for the Muscatine Community School District, were endorsed by the Iowa Civil War Sesquicentennial Committee. The exhibit opened in June 2011 and closes May 26, 2012.

The SHSI Board of Trustees also awarded a Certificate of Recognition for the book, “The Dubuque Shot Tower,” which was researched by American History and English students from Dubuque Central Alternative High School and edited by teacher, John Adelmann.

The Loren Horton Community History Award is named in honor of Loren Horton, who represented the State Historical Society of Iowa in several capacities from 1973 until his retirement in 1996.

As SHSI’s field services coordinator, and later, as senior historian, Horton’s work brought him in close contact with many local historical organizations. In keeping with that legacy, the award recognizes the best project that increases awareness and participation in Iowa history at the local level.

###

The Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs is responsible for developing the state’s interest in the areas of the arts, history and other cultural matters with the advice and assistance from its two divisions: the State Historical Society of Iowa and the Iowa Arts Council. DCA preserves, researches, interprets and promotes an awareness and understanding of local, state and regional history and stimulates and encourages the study and presentation of the performing and fine arts and public interest and participation in them. It implements tourism-related art and history projects as directed by the General Assembly and designs a comprehensive, statewide, long-range plan with the assistance of the Iowa Arts Council to develop the arts in Iowa. More information about DCA is available at www.culturalaffairs.org.