John Pickard (1858–1937)
Pickard Hall (1892–202?)

After gracing Francis Quadrangle for nearly 130 years, Pickard Hall is coming down. This iconic figure, one of the oldest buildings on campus, has seen a complex and multifaceted history. From its beginning as a chemistry hall to the home of the Museum of Art and Archaeology, it is situated in a legacy of learning despite contamination from the early activities it housed. As Pickard Hall is being dismantled, I seek to commemorate its many angles of beauty, and also to gain perspective of the life and legacy of the man for whom it was named.

About the exhibitor:
Erin M. Price is an Artist, Educator, and Doctoral Candidate in the College of Education and Human Development. Her work explores the power of place and the complexity of relationships which connect people and spaces across time. Like Pickard, Erin sees the value of public art, and also the power of public discourse which artmaking and art viewing can incite. She seeks to broaden the conversation about historical narratives, inclusivity, and how we might use art and art history to care for each other in the present, across a plurality of perspectives and experiences.

Special thanks to Dr. Cathy Callaway (MU Museum of Art & Archaeology) and Dr. Anne Stanton (School of Visual Studies) for their help with this project.

The Sandi and Barry Garron Campaign collection represents a lifetime of collecting by 1971 University of Missouri Political Science and Journalism alumnus Barry Garron. Garron is the former president of the Television Critics Association and is a longtime reporter and television critic for the Kansas City Star, The Hollywood Reporter and numerous other publications. He is also a prolific collector of presidential campaign buttons, something he has done for most of his life. In 2021, he donated the entire collection to the Truman School of Government and Public Affairs.

The collection spans the presidential election of 1896, the first with campaign buttons, through the 1996 presidential election, with some buttons from more recent elections. Garron said that he felt like a century’s worth of buttons was a good goal and he has certainly accomplished it. The collection includes buttons for the Democratic and Republican presidential nominees, as well as third party candidates. The buttons both promote and oppose the candidates. Looking at the collection is a colorful, dynamic and fascinating way to learn about the political history of the 20th century in the United States.