Exploring History and Culture in Central Minnesota is an annual February event series hosted by four central Minnesota county historical societies - Morrison, Benton, Sherburne and Stearns. The series seeks to foster greater understanding and awareness of cultures that have been and continue to be part of Minnesota and its history. This year's programming will be presented by the Minnesota African American Heritage Museum and Gallery (MAAHMG) and will feature three presentations on consecutive Saturdays in February - February 6th, February 13th, and February 20th. The event on February 20th, Save the Boards to Memorialize the Movement, will consist of a conversation with Leesa Kelly and Kenda Zellner-Smith who joined their organizations and are collaborating with MAAHMG to collect, preserve and archive the plywood art murals that were created after the killing of George Floyd. Leesa and Kenda have collected over 500 boards from Twin Cities businesses. An outdoor exhibition of the plywood board murals is being planned for May 2021. Hear about what motivated them to start this project, how they joined forces and why preserving these artworks are important to the Black community. The event will include a Q&A session and is free and open to all. Registration is required.

Exploring History and Culture in Central Minnesota - The Minnesota African American Heritage Museum and Gallery event series is sponsored by Sourcewell and by Rethos: Places Reimagined.