By DORIAN SERRA
Beloit College’s very own Logan Museum of Anthropology reopened its visible storage “Cube” space this past Thursday, Nov. 16. Starting at 4:00 p.m. and with the ribbon cutting ceremony at 4:15, the event celebrated the hard work and dedication put into the student-made exhibit. The lobby just outside of the exhibit was filled with current students, alumni, faculty in and out of the department, interested community members, and even our very own college president, Eric Boynton.
Museum Director and Anthropologist Nicolette Meister began the ceremony following a few minutes of conversation and networking over the provided food platter. She thanked all those who had contributed to the project as well as all those who had come, noting that it was the most people she had ever seen there all at once. Afterwards she described the work and effort that had been put in and outlined in brief the project itself. It is open to the public for viewing, Tuesday through Saturday from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., free of charge.
This series of three exhibits is important for both the museum and the anthropology department. Bethany Fleming, an adjunct instructor and exhibit contractor, illustrated the weight of the accomplishment stating that it is “intended to last for a while,” and is “considered a permanent exhibition.” She mentioned that this renovation is the first to happen in the Cube at the Logan Museum of Anthropology since the 90s, but just as prior exhibits have functioned, individual stories within the exhibits can be changed and refreshed going forward.
Four students contributed to the project, India Clizer‘24, Beren Engstrom‘25, Kiersten Faldet‘24, and Sarah Lorenz‘25. Not only were they involved, but Meister claims that could not have been done without them, that it was a “community endeavor by definition.”
Faldet considered this project particularly rewarding. She was glad to see the Cube space redone. The reason that she chose Beloit College was because it has a museum studies program, which is her passion. She saw the Logan Museum of Anthropology before her attendance, which makes working on it now all the more special. Faldet considers this space the “first look for many students,” a big reason that it is important to update.
“I just want everyone to come see it. I think we put in a lot of really great work” said Faldet. Her future career plans include continued work in collections management and with historic pieces.
This is the first large-scale hands on experience in this field for these students. “Everyone involved is very passionate about this kind of work” said Lorenz. She works in marketing now, but feels that her background in museum studies has helped her significantly in processing information as well as conveying it.
Meister reiterates that there are new exhibits every year, but nothing this large scale. The newest exhibit in the upper level space is what sparked the work on the very one being unveiled this past week. The four students who assisted in this project were those who had curated the one above it in the fall 2022 semester in a class with Fleming. They began special projects in the spring, but were unable to continue working during the summer and handed off the project to the anthropology department faculty. However, they again wanted to be involved upon their return this semester.
They worked on final touches and labeling, and then finally installed the exhibit in these few weeks prior to its unveiling. Meister considered them a “good team that complimented each other’s strengths.”
In further discussion with her, she shared that she had had plans for a first floor renovation, but that that is not what drove this project. “It all happened very organically, very Beloit,” she says. No one person or group championed the project. There was no initial plan, “it just happened.” Students, staff, and faculty all came together in their shared interests and passions and this was the result.
Featured Image Credit: Anya Kozel’27
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