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Prairie Churches

Presented by NDSU Memorial Union Gallery at NDSU Memorial Union

October 11-October 28, 2011

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Preservation North Dakota, in conjunction with the State Historical Society of North Dakota and the National Trust for Historic Preservation, will display photographs from the “Prairie Churches” project.

The Memorial Union Gallery at North Dakota State University is proud to host a traveling exhibit from October 6 – October 28, 2011 celebrating the strength and beauty of historic church buildings in North Dakota. Preservation North Dakota, in conjunction with the State Historical Society of North Dakota and the National Trust for Historic Preservation, has worked on photo documenting and revitalizing these rural treasures. The exhibit features photos of buildings listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Stories about each of the photos are available to allow viewers to get a sense of the history, details, and place. The exhibit also has actual architectural components that were salvaged.

The Prairie Churches of North Dakota project is an innovative national pilot program designed to help rural communities revitalize their historic churches as centers of community life and culture. The program is a partnership of historic preservation, religious, arts, and humanities organizations committed to drawing state and national attention to the plight of North Dakota’s rural churches, and to aid congregations in preserving, maintaining, and continuing to use their historic buildings.

The photographs represent some of North Dakota’s rich legacy of ethnically and architecturally diverse historic places of worship. They are also beloved historic landmarks and symbols of cultural heritage. The exhibit calls attention to various styles of architecture such as Gothic Revival and Romanesque Revival as well as various ethnic influences such as Scandinavian, German and Polish. Stained glass windows and altar art are shown along with social, ceremonial, and community traditions illustrating a sense of place, a sense of home, and heritage lost.



Jen Wilke, Director of Administration and Development for Preservation ND will be giving a talk on Friday, October 21, 2011 at 2:oopm about the exhibit and state-wide preservation projects.