Issue date: 4/25/08 Section: The Verge

Artwork displayed in new Tarble Arts Center exhibit. (Karolina Strack/On the Verge)

Most students' final projects are handed into their teacher, never to be seen again.

For History Administration students, though, their final project will be on display at the Tarble Arts Center for all to see.

"We're looking at river travel, train travel, early automotive travel and also highways," said Dan Grzesiak, a graduate student in the program. "Usually, when one travels, they are focused on going somewhere. People often do not notice what's around them on the way."

The exhibit, "The View from Here to There," is the end result of a full year's research and development by the graduate students in the History Museums Exhibits course.

The exhibit, which opened April 19 and ends June 22, explores transportation in central Illinois between 1820 and 1960.

Richard Riccio is a professor in the history department who is helping oversee the project.

"(We want to) look at the aesthetics of the landscape, and not just the nature landscape, but the built environment as well, and transportation was an interesting way to do that," he said.

The exhibit combines artwork from Tarble's collection with objects loaned from other museums and historical societies in the area. There are photographs, pieces of art and a model of the inside of a rail car on display.

The department received funding from the Illinois Humanities Council to construct the exhibit and gather the needed materials.

"(It's) looking at social class and how it affects your attitude about travel," Riccio said. "It's a different type of exhibit from what Tarble normally does.

"It's not a straight art exhibit. There's a definite story behind it that we're telling with the artwork."

Graduate student Tiffany Taylor also works at the exhibit.

She said the exhibit has areas aimed at elementary school students as well as people whose primary interest is the artwork.

"We have designed it with some components for some younger people because we're going to have some fifth-grade students coming through, so we have some educational aspects of the exhibit," Taylor said.

The exhibit's Web site features a black and white video about the different types of travel throughout the time period, as well as some examples of the artwork that can be found at the exhibit.

Grzesiak composed the background music for the video.

Specifically, the exhibit will feature different topics relating to transportation, such as speed and status, familiarity, comparisons and change.

"(We hope people take away) an appreciation for the landscape," Taylor said.

Taylor said the last three weeks have been a lot of work for those preparing the exhibit.

Their first semester was spent doing research and evaluations.

During winter break, the department analyzed its information and gave them the go-ahead to begin putting it all together. The course is a hands-on learning experience for students who wish to work in museums professionally.

"For all of us, it's more than just a grade, it's about learning how to do all of this," Taylor said. "We're all looking for careers in this area, so just learning how to do it I think is the main reward."

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