How much do you know about Modesto history? New museum exhibit unravels local lore
How big a role did Modesto’s suffragettes play in securing a woman’s right to vote in California?
How was it that you could fly out of Modesto and land in the waters of the San Francisco Bay?
How did The Maddox Brothers and Rose popularize honky-tonk music and influence rock ’n’ roll?
Visitors to the McHenry Museum can learn about all these and more of Modesto’s lesser-known history through the exhibit Modesto History Project III. This show was curated by the Modesto Art Museum and is on display through April 7.
“The whole purpose of this is to inspire people. Our Modesto heritage is far richer and more interesting than we know.” said Modesto Art Museum co-founder Bob Barzan. “The idea started during my research of Modesto architecture. I would run into articles that would take me down a rabbit hole and reveal something I never knew about our region.”
Through archival photos, Barzan tells the story of the forgotten past and people of Modesto.
Set in the right wing of the museum, historical photos illustrate each story and include an interactive QR code to take visitors to more information. Barzan said he plans to eventually make all the displays downloadable on the art museum’s website and provide a list of locations where these works will be displayed permanently after the show ends.
Pieces of the Modesto History Project I and II exhibits already are on display at various locations downtown, including at the Modesto Transit Center at Ninth and J streets. Barzan said Part III is the last in the series.
The exhibit was made possible through a grant from the city of Modesto as part of the Coronavirus Local Fiscal Recovery Fund established by the American Rescue Plan Act. The Modesto History Project III runs until April 7 at the McHenry Museum, 1402 I St.
The museum is open Fridays through Sundays from noon to 4 p.m., and entry is free. For more information, visit https://modestoartmuseum.org/modesto-history-project-iii.
This story was originally published February 28, 2024 at 6:00 AM.
