Quick Facts

”#MeToo in Minnesota History” Exhibit

When: Oct. 15, 2019-April 5, 2020
Where: Irvine Community Gallery, Minnesota History Center, St. Paul
Admission: Free

A new Irvine Community Gallery exhibit, “#MeToo in Minnesota History,” opens tomorrow, Tuesday, Oct. 15, at the Minnesota History Center. This small exhibit explores issues of sexual assault and violence throughout Minnesota history and aims to highlight underrepresented narratives.
Developed through research by Paige Mitchell, a graduate student in the University of Minnesota’s Heritage Studies and Public History program, the exhibit uses individual women’s stories to examine how communities have experienced sexual violence and injustice in Minnesota’s past and present.
Stories include:

• Rachel: an enslaved woman who lived at Fort Snelling and successfully sued for her freedom in 1836 while also facing physical and sexual violence in Minnesota Territory
• Cece McDonald: an African American transwoman and activist, whose murder trial made national news in 2011 after she defended herself and friends from a transphobic attack in Minneapolis
• Ivette Izea-Martinez: a first-generation immigrant from Venezuela, she serves as co-director of family advocacy and community engagement at Casa de Esperanza, which addresses domestic violence in the Latino community

On Tuesday, Oct. 29 from 6:30-9 pm, the Irvine Community Gallery will host an opening reception, including a keynote from Minneapolis city council member Andrea Jenkins, live music and spoken word performances.

The Irvine Community Gallery is dedicated to exhibits on socially responsive topics and issues that are relevant to Minnesotans today. It is on the first floor of the Minnesota History Center and is free to the public during regular museum hours.