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It Happened Here: Expo '74 Fifty Years After

Place: Gallery C
Date From: 5/4/2024
Date To: 1/26/2025
Summary: For many in the Inland Northwest, the 1974 World’s Fair remains the single most transformative event in living memory. Radically reshaping Spokane’s natural and built environment, Expo ’74 ushered in a new era for the city - one centered on urban renewal, commercial growth, and political progress. This 50th anniversary exhibition revisits the historical roots of Expo ‘74’s stated environmental purpose and its popular “community spirit” legacy. Incorporating recognizable elements from Expo’s built environment with museum artifacts and archival materials, visitors will engage with the familiar, nostalgic, and perhaps lesser-known stories found within the MAC’s largest archival collection, seeing Expo ‘74 in a new light.
Description: For many in the Inland Northwest, the 1974 World's Fair remains the single most transformative event in living memory. Radically reshaping Spokane's natural and built environment, Expo '74 ushered in a new era for the city - one centered on urban renewal, commercial growth, and political progress. This 50th anniversary exhibition revisits the historical roots of Expo '74's stated environmental purpose and its popular "community spirit" legacy. Incorporating recognizable elements from Expo's built environment with museum artifacts and archival materials, visitors will engage with the familiar, nostalgic, and perhaps lesser-known stories found within the MAC's largest archival collection, seeing Expo '74 in a new light.
Related Objects:
2214.1 (Quilt, "Expo '74 Folklife Festival's "Second Friendship Quilt"", 1974)
2776.15 (Crate, "Chinese Crate", ca. 1900)
3039.2 (Necktie; Souvenir, "Expo '74 Necktie", 1974)
4124.3 (Cartoon, "My Fair Lady", January 20, 1968)
4422.1 (Tray, Serving; Souvenir, "Expo '74 Serving Tray", 1974)
4422.2 (Bottle, Decanter; Souvenir, "Expo '74 Decanter", 1974)
4422.3 (Glass, Water; Souvenir, "Expo '74 Souvenir Glass", 1974)