Please join us as we have the privilege to view, and ask questions about, some displays that were once visible on campus, and many items that were in the collections but never finished or exhibited until now. The Bing Gallery is now the home of these historic treasures, but this area currently does not have regular hours for public viewing. So, with past and present UIU faculty, alumni, community volunteers and city employees we will be looking to the past to see our way to the future.

The exhibit includes displays of artifacts associated with Dr. Charles Coleman Parker, Fayette’s first physician and Civil War surgeon, displays of rocks and fossils from local geologic collectors, displays of historic and recent herbarium plant specimens from Fayette County, some featured literary pieces from the Community library, and a window art installation depicting native plant herbarium specimens collected by C. C. Parker in the 1860’s.

Exhibits on display during the Open House will include:

·         a series of medical and personal artifacts associated with Dr. Charles Coleman Parker, the first physician to reside in the town of Fayette, as well as additional artifacts associated with UIU’s Civil War contributions

·         a series of geologic rock and fossil collections from UIU and local collectors

·         a display of historic herbarium plant specimens collected by C. C. Parker and others over a century ago

·         a display of recent herbarium plant specimens representing over 40 species of native sedges found growing in Fayette County

·         Original window art installation by artist Lee Emma Running depicting some of the native plant specimens originally collected by C. C. Parker in the 1860’s.