Weaving a Community: 30 years of the Matheson History Museum

Press release from the Matheson History Museum
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – In the late 1980s, Gainesville had a well-documented and researched history, numerous nationally-recognized historical sites, and multiple civic organizations centered around the preservation and proliferation of local history. What it did not have was a centralized place dedicated to that rich local history, where the accumulated knowledge and artifacts of the last two centuries could be housed and protected. This year, the Matheson History Museum will commemorate its 30th Anniversary of meeting that need.
To celebrate, Weaving a Community will take an all-encompassing view of the Matheson’s history and its origins. The exhibition reveals the museum’s roots through the history of the Matheson family, the American Legion Hall, and the wider civil society. It presents our history in an unbroken tapestry, revealing interesting and intertwined threads that tie the museum, the history of Gainesville, and our community together. Come for a visit and see what makes the Matheson a uniquely Gainesville institution.
The exhibition opens on Wednesday, February 28.
Curator: Willett Hancock, Visitor Engagement Assistant, Matheson History Museum
Graphic Designer: Rick Kilby, https://www.rickkilby.com/
This exhibition is sponsored in part by Visit Gainesville/Alachua County, FL; The City of Gainesville; and by the Department of State, Division of Cultural Affairs, the Florida Council of the Arts and Culture, and the State of Florida.