Greater Oneonta Historical Society
to unveil new exhibit at Grand Reopening
On Friday, May 13, 2022, the Greater Oneonta Historical Society (GOHS) will reopen the doors to its History Center at 183 Main Street in the heart of downtown Oneonta. The reopening follows a four-month closure for renovations to the first floor, including updates to the walls, floors, and lighting.
At the grand reopening, GOHS will unveil Small Community, Big Ideas: Greater Oneonta, a new exhibition exploring the history of the town and city of Oneonta, New York. The exhibit will include modern, interactive, and digital features and a variety of different, formerly unseen objects from GOHS’s object and archival collections.
“Small Community, Big Ideas will feature five chronological modules, each shedding light on the everyday people, places, and events that have shaped the town and city of Oneonta over the past three centuries,” Dr. Marcela Micucci, GOHS Executive Director said. “It will tell the stories of how Natives, settlers, immigrants, and residents created a community, and how they built and rebuilt Oneonta to become a destination city — one that was adaptable and evolved with the changing geography, economy, culture, and society.”
Throughout the exhibit visitors will experience floor maps, ambient sound, audio and visual content, and additional interactive components. At the close of the exhibition, visitors also will have an opportunity to contribute their own ideas of what they believe the next “big idea” for Oneonta might be. In the coming months, GOHS will continue to integrate new interactives, objects, and expanded content into the exhibit, ensuring visitors a different experience each time they visit.
In addition to the new permanent exhibition, the History Center’s first floor also includes a newly designed gift shop, the Sally Mullen Children’s Corner, and the Brzozowski Special Exhibition Gallery. The special exhibition space will feature three to four rotating exhibitions each year, beginning with Remembering Oneonta in the 1960s, to open in summer 2022.
Also featured in May will be a special display, 100 Years of Oneonta Rotary, celebrating the centennial of the Oneonta Rotary Club, in GOHS’ Buckingham Window on Main Street and SUNY Oneonta Alumni Window on Dietz Street. The exhibit will highlight the Rotary’s local and international charitable work and community service, their membership and camaraderie, and their 100-year history.
“We are thrilled to reopen our doors to the Oneonta community in celebration of our new first-floor space and permanent exhibition,” said Dr. Micucci, “I am grateful to be part of such a collaborative team and organization, and I look forward to sharing this milestone with our local community. Our new first floor space is a testament to GOHS’ mission to promote and preserve our history for Oneonta’s future.”
John Pontius, President of the GOHS Board of Trustees commented, “It is with great pride that we present to the Oneonta community the new museum on the first floor of the History Center in downtown Oneonta, along with the new permanent exhibit, Small Community, Big Ideas. Having a vibrant museum as an integral part of our downtown is a tremendous asset for Oneonta and it will serve as an important facility to provide educational programs and celebrate the rich history of the Greater Oneonta area for many years to come.”
For more information on the grand re-opening events, visit www.oneontahistory.org, Facebook and Instagram pages, or call or email the History Center at 607-432-0960 and info@oneontahistory.org.
