Education in Zion Gallery facts for kids
Education in Zion is a special place at Brigham Young University (BYU) in Provo, Utah. It's like a museum or gallery that shows the history of education within the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. This includes everything from the early days with Joseph Smith to the current Church Educational System (CES). The gallery uses stories, films, art, photos, and letters to tell this history. It also has temporary exhibits about student art, university services, and how school subjects connect to scriptures. Many students who visit feel more thankful for their education.
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History of the Education in Zion Gallery
For eight years, a person named C. Terry Warner led the team that created the first exhibit. They planned for the gallery to be in the Joseph F. Smith building at BYU. A BYU professor, John Rosenberg, said the gallery helps connect the work done at the university to important gospel truths.
Mr. Warner worked with many BYU students and recent graduates. They looked at old letters, records, and stories from places like the Church History Library and the L. Tom Perry Special Collections. They also used materials from other universities and historical groups. After gathering all the information, the team wrote, designed, and set up the exhibit.
Education in Zion first opened in the fall of 2008. The Harold B. Lee Library at BYU helps manage it. Ann Lambson was the first curator (the person who takes care of the exhibits) from 2008 to 2011. Heather Seferovich has been the curator since 2011.
What You Can See in the Permanent Exhibits
The main exhibits show the history of the Church Educational System. This includes how education started in the early Church and how seminaries and institutes were formed. You can learn about the sacrifices and new ideas of Church members who worked hard to help educate others.
BYU students work at the gallery as educators. They give tours and help plan events. In 2009, over 18,000 people visited the gallery. By 2012, more than 28,000 people came to see it. Many students said visiting made them appreciate their studies more. In 2019, new exhibits opened. These show how Church programs help members gain both school knowledge (like a square) and spiritual knowledge (like a circle).
Temporary Exhibits at the Gallery
The gallery often has new, temporary exhibits. These usually work with different colleges and groups at BYU.
Student Art Shows
BYU art students often show their work here. For example, "Clarity" in 2009 and "Inheritance" in 2010 featured student art. "After Eve" was another exhibit that showed art about women and education.
University Life and Service Exhibits
Some exhibits highlight fun parts of BYU or important services. In 2015, "Cosmo: The Credentials of a Cougar" connected BYU's mascot, Cosmo the Cougar, to the goals of a BYU education. The next year, "Cosmo: The Evolution of a Cougar" showed how Cosmo's costumes changed over time.
An exhibit called "Y Serve: Come Serve with Me" showed how important service is at BYU. Another, "Do Good Better: The Ballard Center for Economic Self-Reliance," explained how students can help organizations like the Ballard Center.
More About CES History
Other temporary exhibits teach more about the history of the Church Educational System. "Hastening the Work: The Story of Benemerito" taught visitors about Benemerito De Las Americas. This is a private high school in Mexico run by the Church.
In 2012, with the BYU College of Nursing, the gallery had an exhibit on the history of nursing. It focused on how Latter-day Saints were involved. For the BYU College of Humanities's 50th anniversary, "50 Years of Fluency in the Human Conversation" showed the importance of humanities at BYU.
Connecting School Subjects to Scriptures
Some exhibits link school subjects to the scriptures. "Bodies Filled With Light" looked at what scriptures say about the body. It showed this alongside drawings from a famous book called Gray's Anatomy. The 2017 exhibit, "Emotions in the Scriptures," explored emotions found in the scriptures and what they teach us.
Fun Events at the Gallery
The gallery has many regular events during the school year.
- Every Friday at noon, students perform live music.
- On Mondays, special programs are held for small groups. These are often promoted as Family Home Evening activities.
- In December, there's a "Christmas in Nauvoo" program. In February, there's a "Vignettes of Black Saints" program. In 2016, the Christmas program had activities like 19th-century folk dancing, snacks, storytelling, and games.
- Since 2014, the gallery has joined other BYU museums for an annual "Night at the Museums" event in February.
- The gallery also celebrates Karl G. Maeser's birthday on January 16.
Lectures and Talks
Experts often give talks at the gallery. For Black history month in 2012, Margaret Blair Young spoke about important Black Saints. In 2014, LeGrand Richards gave a talk about Karl G. Maeser for his birthday. Other speakers have included music professor Ron Saltmarsh, sociology professor Mikaela Dufur, and chemistry professor Joshua Price.
Images for kids
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"Ascent of Church Education" permanent exhibit
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Detail of the Nauvoo, IL, exhibit
