Visual History Club established at NCTC

A Visual History Club has been established at Northland Community & Technical College – Thief River Falls campus, according to the group’s adviser, Aliza Olson, NCTC history & political science instructor.

The purpose of the club is to promote an interest in history by bringing it alive for students and community members through the creation of visual displays. The club will serve as a channel between students, local museums, and community members so that history, by the use of artifacts, is more accessible to more people. In addition, club members learn how to work with and care for artifacts with the end goal of preserving history so that it can be shared with future generations.

The Visual History Club has hit the ground running, according to Aliza Olson. “The group is diversified and is getting together and having fun with it.” The club has already created two displays on campus; a Military display in honor of Veteran’s and a Native American display that visually depicts how Native Americans used nature to make everyday items. The Military display focuses on the World War II era of allied powers verses the axis powers and includes Nazi and Japanese artifacts. Artifacts on display are from the personal collections of Richard Novacek, the family of Mark Bieganek, Ryan and Amber Sternisha and Bradley Krajicek. The Native American artifacts are on loan from the Roseau County Museum. Items on display include a baby cradle, birch bark baskets and canoes, and a sturgeon bladder, which served as a water container.

According to Olson, the vision of the club includes building traveling display cases that can be displayed at local libraries, banks and businesses. Each display that is created will have a specific theme that includes visual history and artifacts. Since the club was not established until after fall semester had started, there was no budget designated to the club for 2009-10. The club is investigating the possibility of applying for grants and other avenues in which they can raise funds to begin creating traveling displays.

The public is invited to NCTC to visit the displays that are located in the hallway between the cafeteria and the Gunderson Commons. Individuals or groups that are interested in sponsoring the creation of a traveling display case may contact club advisor Aliza Olson at (218) 683-8709.