Georgia Southern Museum to Open New World War I Exhibit

March 23, 2015

The Georgia Southern Museum invites you to commemorate the 100th anniversary of World War I during an opening reception of the new exhibit, “The Great War That Changed The World, 1914-1918” on Thursday, March 26 from 4-6 p.m. “Centennial anniversaries always bring back more attention to a subject, but it’s especially important for us to look at the First World War because it tends to get lost in public interpretation because of the national fascination with the Civil War and World War II,” said Brent Tharp, director of the Museum. “The First World War was just mentally devastating and it had an effect that radically changed technology and society.” The opening reception will bring together all students and faculty who have been involved with the project, Tharp said. Graduate assistant and curator Sheila Boone worked with faculty curators and Professional Practices students in the Betty Foy Sanders Department of Art to complete the project. Boone, who is in her second year as a graduate student with plans to graduate in May, has been studying World War I for six years. She said the most challenging part of putting the exhibit together was trying to condense the information into one room. “The exhibit itself has been in the works for a year, and I’m really happy it’s opening for people to see what’s been going on behind the scenes,” she said. “It has been a really amazing experience and I’ve learned a lot about the museum process as a whole. I’m very excited for this exhibit to open because it is an outlet for a topic I really love and care about. It’s a great way to commemorate the centennial, honor those who fought and really see the historical significance of the War.” Tharp added the Museum is also excited about the exhibit, especially the opening reception on Thursday. “The reception is a nice opportunity to meet students and faculty who’ve been directly involved in the project,” he said. “There will be lots of opportunity to see the exhibit, but this will be the one opportunity that brings together so many people who’ve been involved in this to get a great perspective of the exhibit.” The exhibit will be on display through January 2017, and is one of two exhibits the Museum will feature about World War I. The second exhibit, “The Great War that Changed America, 1914-1918,” which focuses more on the impact of the First World War in America and in Georgia, will open in 2017.