Written by Jami Van Huss, Guest Curator
What do you remember? Why do you remember it? How do you remember it?
The Museum of Utah’s inaugural temporary exhibition, The Past is Personal, prompts you to ponder these questions. As Americans commemorate the nation’s 250th anniversary this exhibit explores the concepts of remembering, what stories we tell, and how we are each part of the American story.
Initial thoughts about the founding of this country generally turn to the Thirteen Colonies and the Revolutionary War, which don’t have much to do with the landscape would become Utah 120 years later. So Utah’s semiquincentennial stories lie solidly with its people, and are the focus of this exhibit. As one panel suggests: “Americans of all ages and backgrounds can see themselves in our collective history. However, many don’t realize that history evolves, much like science. As we uncover new perspectives and evidence, stories shift, sometimes revealing that often-repeated accounts are actually family or community myths. Every day we learn more about how many people contributed to the American story of courage, resilience, liberty, and resolve.”
Accordingly, The Past is Personal explores how commemoration can be an effective and meaningful way to connect with the past while also looking ahead. Luckily, the work of collecting and sharing the stories of many Utahns has been an objective of the Utah Historical Society for decades. The exhibit starts with objects and images collected during the UHS’s Bicentennial project The Peoples of Utah, a foundational work that not only collected broader histories of Utah’s peoples, but did it from their perspectives. The exhibit then highlights the robust work of UHS’s current Peoples of Utah Revisited project.
We partnered with several community members and organizations throughout the state to share stories, artifacts, and images that demonstrate our state’s shared histories. Utah is a rapidly changing state with almost one-fourth of residents identifying as a racial or ethnic minority in the last census. Coupled with a flourishing growth rate, Utah is increasingly home to many communities with distinct and intertwined histories. Peoples of Utah Revisited seeks to proactively engage with communities to widen the lens on Utah’s history and amplify historically quieted (overlooked) voices. The Past is Personal highlights three groups—Utah’s Cambodian American community, rodeo queens, and the Genealogical Society of Hispanic America-Utah Chapter—to represent specific communities UHS has partnered with in the last few years. Collecting and sharing their stories serves all Utahns by reflecting all the communities we serve.
Additionally, as we developed this exhibition, we wanted to provide a space for many perspectives. Commemoration is the practice of remembering and honoring. Sometimes it’s jubilant and other times it’s reflective. All of our stories have contributed to the American story throughout time, and collecting, remembering, and telling all of that history matters. Accordingly, we commissioned a Native American artist to share their insights into the Semiquincentennial through artwork.
I hope that you will visit the Museum of Utah to see The Past is Personal to consider your connections to history, your role in the American story, and know that your stories matter. I also hope that it will invite you to develop greater curiosity, empathy, and understanding of different perspectives. Don’t miss your chance to make your personal connection to history while this exhibition is open to the public during the museum’s regular open hours through June 2027.
Plan your visit to the Museum of Utah at https://history.utah.gov/museum/
