Billie Follensbee Archives - Reynolds College Blog

Art history and museum studies students bring research to the public

June 3, 2025 by Reynolds College

Several art history and museum studies students from Missouri State University spent a busy Spring 2025 semester showcasing their research at several conferences.

The students appeared at the Missouri Archaeological Society, the Catherine Reed Jolivette Art History and Visual Cultural Symposium and the Missouri Academy of Science.

The art history and museum studies programs are part of the BA in Visual Art and Culture in the Department of Art and Design.

MSU-led exhibition wins prestigious international award

December 10, 2024 by Damilola R. Oyedeji

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.

Man explaining an exhibit to a group — Dr. John Chuchiak gives a guided tour of the exhibit.

Exhibition series on Ozarks culture now open

October 11, 2024 by Reynolds College

A new exhibition series on Ozarks history and culture is now open at the Park Central Branch Library in Springfield, Missouri.

The project is supported by Missouri State University’s Department of Art and Design, the Park Central Branch Library, Springfield-Greene County Library System, the Missouri Humanities Council and the Missouri Humanities Trust Fund.

The series runs from October 2024 through September 2025.

Six exhibitions feature Ozarks artifacts

Directed by Dr. Billie Follensbee, art and design professor and Museum Studies Program Coordinator, the project consists of six exhibition and presentation topics that explore the culture and history of the Ozarks. The Park Central Branch Library will host each exhibition.

“The artifacts in these exhibitions have been generously loaned to us by different museums and collections in the region,” Follensbee said. These regional entities include the History Museum on the Square, the Christian County Museum and the Rose O’Neill Museum and Bonniebrook Historical Society.

“[These are] smaller institutions that do not have the funding or personnel to research these collections,” Follensbee explained.