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The Detroit Historical Museum was kind enough to answer some questions about the Pre Movement party and the renovations planned for the Detroit Historical Museum. Check it out...
Having a Movement Pre Party at the museum is a very good idea. Who came up with that idea?
Since the museum was scheduled to close for renovations the week of Movement and Detroit is the birthplace of techno, the Detroit Historical Society thought a pre-Movement party would be a great way to celebrate the start of new beginning at the Detroit Historical Museum. We’ve invited several influential Detroit electronic music artists to cast their handprints in cement for Detroit Legends Plaza including: Juan Atkins, Kevin Saunderson, Eddie Fowlkes and Carl Craig. Derrick May and Jeff Mills will also have their handprints and signatures casted in cement to join Detroit Legends Plaza.
What are some upcoming exhibits after the renovations?
The museum will install three new exhibits including: · The Gallery of Innovation will highlight the entrepreneurial spirit of Detroiters through the use of interactive technology. · The Allesee Gallery of Culture will focus on 20th century music, architecture, sports, arts and entertainment. · Detroit: The Arsenal of Democracy will take visitors back to the World War II era when the people of the region created the mighty arsenal that changed the outcome of the war. · The plaza outside of the Detroit Historical Museum (at the corner of Woodward Ave. and Kirby St.) will become Detroit Legends Plaza, an outdoor destination to honor Detroit’s stars of sports, entertainment and media. Legends from Gordie Howe to Martha Reeves are among those that have cast their handprints and signatures in cement. Additionally, the following current exhibits will be revamped: · Doorway to Freedom: Detroit and the Underground Railroad exhibit will present the city’s past through the stories of those who helped and stood in the way of freedom seekers. · America’s Motor City exhibit will offer new artifacts and technology. · New techniques and enhanced storytelling features will be added to all permanent exhibit halls, including the Glancy Trains and Frontiers to Factories exhibits.
When will the museum be open again?
The museum reopens to the public Thanksgiving Weekend. Admission for the opening and beyond will be free to all. What are some of the innovative technology upgrades? The exhibits themselves will be revamped to make them more interactive and engaging. In addition to the physical improvements to the museum spaces, the Detroit Historical Society is in the process of digitizing more than 250,000 artifacts, making it accessible as an online tool for researchers and history lovers alike. Can you give me a summary of what will take place on May 24th? On the eve of the Movement: Electronic Music Festival, the Detroit Historical Society will kick off its much anticipated museum renovations with a party on the plaza. Party-goers will move to the sounds of DJ Keith Kemp as he opens for legendary Detroiter, Carl Craig. Craig will be joined by Detroit techno originators Juan Atkins, Eddie Fowlkes and Kevin Saunderson as they cast their handprints and signatures for the future Detroit Legends Plaza, set to be installed September 2012. The event offers one last chance to visit the museum before it temporarily closes for a six-month renovation made possible by the Past>Forward Campaign. Admission to the museum and party are free of charge. Garden Fresh Gourmet will provide snacks and a cash bar will be available.
What renovations took place during the 1960s? Did you do the car exhibit then? Did you do the music related exhibits then?
The museum was expanded with the addition of the Kresge Exhibit Hall dedicated on July 24, 1968. Running west from the original building along Kirby, it was designed by the architectural firm of Smith, Hinchman & Grylls. Kresge Hall was funded by a $500,000 grant from the S. S. Kresge Foundation in 1965, which was matched by the City of Detroit at the request of the Detroit Historical Commission
Will you be expanding that exhibit during this renovation? Will you be including more recent music like techno?
A portion of the new Allesee Gallery of Culture will include a section on the Movement: Electronic Music Festival.