A group of Missouri State University professors, students and international scholars curated an international museum exhibition that won the 2024 Miguel Covarrubias Award at the Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia (INAH) Awards in Mexico Sept. 3.

Titled “Ídolos, Persistencias y Resistencias” (Idols, Persistences and Resistences), the exhibit received recognition in the “Museums, Museography and Research in the Museum Design and Exhibition” category. It was hosted and designed in collaboration with the Regional Museum of the National Institute for Anthropology and History’s Palacio Cantón in Mérida, Yucatán, Mexico.

The Miguel Covarrubias Award from INAH honors achievements in museum studies and cultural research. It recognizes top research, thesis projects and cultural exhibitions in Mexico for their role in preserving historical narratives and promoting museum scholarship.

The exhibition first debuted in February 2023 at the Regional Museum of Anthropology of Yucatán, Palacio Cantón. It received international acclaim, establishing it as a standout exhibit among over 70 other museum projects.

“This award will cement MSU’s reputation as a leader in international museum curation and interdisciplinary scholarship,” said Dr. John Chuchiak, distinguished professor of history at MSU and chief curator and designer of the exhibit.

Collaborative effort across borders

“Ídolos, Persistencias y Resistencias” represents a partnership between Chuchiak and Dr. Antonio Rodríguez Alcalá from MSU’s international partner university, the Universidad Anáhuac Mayab in Mérida.

Since 2017, as part of an MSU and Honors College international agreement, Chuchiak and Rodríguez Alcalá have worked together on several projects focusing on the history, art and architecture of the Maya and Colonial eras of Yucatán and Guatemala.

Their past projects include digital reconstructions of historical sites like the Palace of the Inquisition in Mexico City and various historical events such as the Auto de Fe in Maní, Yucatán.

“Our goal was to showcase how cultural memories persist through destruction, bringing Maya heritage into the present,” Alcalá said.

In addition, Dr. Billie Follensbee, professor of art and design and museum studies program coordinator at MSU, served as the project’s art historical director. She organized and co-edited the student work on the exhibition and catalog.

“When John approached me in the spring of 2022, it was easy to recognize this project as a golden opportunity for our advanced art history students,” Follensbee said.

“I was happy to recruit students from my Mesoamerican Art History classes to work on the exhibition and catalog,” she added. “They rose to the challenge, identifying and interpreting even relatively obscure art and artifacts that were recovered in the excavations. Their hard work was an invaluable contribution to the success of the entire exhibition.”

Immersive experience highlights Mesoamerican heritage

Several MSU students (who have all since graduated) teamed with international experts Michael Covián Benites, Dr. Bernardo Sarvide, Gabriela Castillo, Giovana Jaspersen García and Fernando Nah Uc to research, design and catalog “Ídolos, Persistencias y Resistencias.”

The exhibit uses historical artifacts and modern virtual reality (VR) technology to create an immersive experience that mirrors Mesoamerican heritage. Through these different VR simulations, visitors are transported into a reconstructed historical setting that combines archaeological findings with advanced digital storytelling.

The virtual walkthrough drew commendation from museum professionals worldwide.

MSU student contributions bring the past to life

Hans Erickson led the VR design team for the “Ídolos, Persistencias y Resistencias” exhibit. He graduated with a BFA in animation and gaming from MSU’s Department of Art and Design and is currently a history graduate student at MSU.

Erickson said his undergraduate studies inspired him to “leverage my skills in a unique way” by using animation and gaming platforms to create historical content. For the exhibit, Erickson applied both his art and history training to recreate the architecture, artifacts, and historical figures of the Mesoamerican past.

“This type of content allows the viewer to interact with historical characters in their own environment and hear them in their own words and language,” Erickson explained. He went on to say that his efforts “support the art of storytelling in a manner that would tell the past from all angles, and not just favor one side or the other.”

Kyle Rickman, another MSU student who helped with the project, also expressed a commitment to bringing the past to life.

“When you hold an artifact in your hands or examine it on a screen like I did, you realize the hopes, faiths and beliefs of people who lived centuries ago were all contained in this small piece of stone,” he said. “My job was to help uncover what those beliefs were and every answer I found brought the past a little closer to the present.”

“There’s something almost magical about uncovering the mysteries of the past,” Rickman added.

Watch the virtual 360-degree tour of the exhibit

MSU student exhibition participants

The students in the following list are all now alumni:

Akira Alves, art history, museum studies
Elisabeth Barber, history
Katie Kimbrough, art history
Emma LaMartina, anthropology
Whitney Mosley, art history
Laken Parrish, anthropology
Rebecca Prado, anthropology
Caleb Powell, museum studies
Kyle Rickman, history
Sarah Dotson, art history
Elizabeth Turner, anthropology
Kassidy Watts, painting

Read the recent publication on the exhibit

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News edited by the Reynolds College Communications Team.