Museum of the Grand Prairie looks at Healing Hearts in new exhibit

 By Brett McMahon

In chaos, it’s hard to know when a heart might heal. 

While hearts may still be processing 2020 and 2021, the Museum of the Grand Prairie’s Education Program Specialist Katie Snyder knew that the time to collect artifacts relating to how the Champaign County Community came together during those tumultuous years was as it was happening. 

The “Healing Hearts” exhibit, located right inside the entryway at the Museum, takes a local look at photographs, art, and poems that encapsulate the events and emotions surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic, systemic racism, gun violence, food insecurity, and other social and economic injustices that have impacted communities nationwide.

Submissions were put together into a collage by local artist Cindy Sampson. From drawings to Twitter posts, pictures of Covid testing tents, and a screenshot of a Zoom meeting, the display showcases not only the feelings of those from the area but also how they were forced to adjust to a new normal in their daily lives. The memories are tied together by a heart in the middle of the display.

Entrance to the museum is free of charge and Healing Hearts will be on display through September of 2024 in the designated space. After that time, it will remain in the museum as part of the general collections found there.