North Dakota Heritage Center Temporarily Closes "Green Revolution" Exhibit After Complaints

An exhibit created by the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago, and part of the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service, drew a negative response from some members of the public after being displayed at the North Dakota Heritage Center in Bismarck.

So much it has been closed temporarily to be reworked.

The Heritage Center is North Dakota’s state museum, located on the capitol grounds. Per some pictures of the exhibit, titled “Green Revolution,” sent in by a SAB reader the language used was fairly polarizing.

Scroll down to see the images.

[mks_pullquote align=”right” width=”300″ size=”24″ bg_color=”#ffffff” txt_color=”#000000″]When we spoke on the phone Jondahl emphasized that no content is being removed from the exhibit. She said the intent of the Historical Society is to add content to create more balance.[/mks_pullquote]

I called the North Dakota Historical Society about the exhibit and why it is currently closed. Kimberly Jondahl sent me a copy of their statement on it. You can read it here.

Apparently low attendance and complaints from the public prompted it to be closed so that additional content could be added to it for balance.

“As with any of our exhibits, we welcome and value public feedback in order to best serve the broad interests of all who visit,” the statement reads. “Our staff has monitored attendance and listened to comments from visitors since it opened in November 2015. Based on low attendance and public comments that this exhibit would benefit from a more balanced approach and a local flavor, a decision was made to offer a broader story including additions specific to our state. Our staff will incorporate recent local innovations and content about North Dakota contributions to sustainability.”

“We invite you to visit the Green Revolution again soon!” the statement reads, in closing.

When we spoke on the phone Jondahl emphasized that no content is being removed from the exhibit. She said the intent of the Historical Society is to add content to create more balance.

“The Heritage Center was mistaken in allowing it to go up, but acted with reasonable speed after the complaint,” Rob Lindberg, who contacted me about the exhibit, said in an email.

“It had a clear and extreme political agenda that has no place in an educational museum,” he added.

Lindberg is the director of Bakken Backers, a group organized to support the state’s oil and gas industry.