One hundred and fifty years of Grove City College history are on display this fall in the gallery of the Pew Fine Arts Center on campus.
“Celebrating a Legacy of Faith and Freedom” combines art and artifacts to tell the story of Grove City College as it marks its 150th anniversary this year. Open now, the exhibit runs through Nov. 25.
Hilary Walczak ’09, director of College Archives and Galleries, planned and curated the exhibit.
“We wanted to give visitors a sense of the entire sweep of Grove City College’s history, from its founding in 1876 to the current day,” she said. “The goal is to show not just the typical history of Grove City College focused on dates and central characters, but to convey the life of the College through the decades, what students were doing and what life on campus was – and in a lot of cases still is – like.”
The biggest challenge, she said, was the breadth and depth of the Grove City College story: “How do you put 150 years of rich history into such a small space?”
The display features more than 200 photos and objects from the College’s archives and follows a timeline from its founding in April 1876 through this year’s sesquicentennial celebration. Display boards provide a broad overview of different eras and explain specific events and aspects of campus culture.
Among the items on display are: the wheel, bell, and a life preserver from the U.S.S. Grove City College Victory, the World War II era ship christened in recognition of the College’s contributions to the war effort; band and athletic uniforms from decades past; a mounted wolverine pelt and the head piece of the iconic Willie the Wolverine mascot costume; and scale models of campus buildings.
Photos lining the walls of the gallery present images of the College and students throughout the years, significant events, College presidents, notable faculty, and views of campus that show how much things have changed since 1876 and how much has stayed the same.
“We want visitors to feel like they are on campus and get the big picture of what Grove City College is through the experience,” Walczak said.
The Pew Fine Arts Center gallery is open from 4 to 8 p.m. weekdays.