This article originally appeared in the Hancock County Journal-Pilot.

By Joy Swearingen

In preparation for the upcoming Smithsonian, Journey Stories, Museum on Main Street Exhibit, three representatives from Nauvoo attended a planning session with other towns chosen to host the exhibits.

Ron Yockey, program director; Lachlan Mackay, program chairman; and Casey Cluff, exhibition chairman, attended a planning workshop at Glen Carbon, on Thursday, Feb. 2. The Illinois Humanities Council conducted the meeting for the first three communities that will host this exhibit.

Mt. Vernon will open the exhibit in Illinois from June 23 to Aug. 4, 2012; Glen Carbon (near St. Louis) will host from Aug. 11 to Sept. 22,; and Nauvoo will host the exhibit from Sept. 29, through Nov. 10.

The morning session focused on an activity, “The Exquisite Corpse” which aids the viewer to determine common associations with visual objects. Each city then shared its ideas for its local exhibit that will be designed to enhance the Smithsonian Exhibit.

After lunch, participants broke into groups to share the local humanities programs that were being planned while the exhibit is shown in their city and to get feedback and ideas from others. The workshop ended by discussing with the Illinois Humanities Council representatives how to properly prepare grant funding papers.

“The entire Nauvoo Planning Committees will now focus on the development and design of our local exhibits so they will be ready for the ribbon cutting opening on Sept. 29,” said Yockey.