As part of our continuing partnerships with Mia (the Minneapolis Institute of Art), our March-April citizenship class was held in a classroom in Mia.
Citizenship classes culminated their session on Saturday with a tour of a few pieces relevant to their studies of history and government.
Students viewed a Native American Adornment commemorating Pocahontas and the life she lived between two cultures, as well as a writing desk attributed to William Howard. William Howard was born in Africa and lived and worked at Kirkwood Plantation in Madison County, Mississippi, first as an enslaved man and then, after the Civil War (1861–65), as a free man. This desk was handed down through an African American family, along with the story of William Howard as its maker.
The tour finished with a piece by Minnesota artist Cy Thao documenting the Hmong refugee experience.
Student enjoyed the tour. One student observed that “everything tells a story.”
Thank you to Ann, who led the tour along with Krista, and to all the Mia staff for making citizenship classes a success! If you live in the Twin Cities metro area, and have not visited Mia recently, we encourage you to visit.