FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 6, 2019
The Spike at 150: Myths and Realities
Zhi Lin: Tracing Chinese Workers’ Footsteps to Promontory Summit
By Kaia Michaelis
The Brigham City Museum of Art & History is pleased to present a pair of exhibitions that will celebrate the sesquicentennial of the completion of the Transcontinental Railroad. The exhibitions will open Saturday, March 23, 2019, and continue through June 15, 2019.
The Spike at 150: Myths and Realities will explore the history of the building of the railroad and its legends. Is there really a mass grave of Chinese workers in the Brigham City Cemetery? Did competing workers blow each other up as they approached Promontory? What was Utah’s role in the work? The exhibition explores a bevy of legends through photographs, archival materials and original artifacts.
Zhi Lin: Tracing Chinese Workers’ Footsteps to Promontory Summit features sketches and paintings by an internationally-acclaimed artist who has spent more than a decade attempting to trace the history of Chinese workers in the western United States, with a special focus on railroad workers. Zhi’s breathtaking works of art for this exhibition include both representational and abstract pieces that explore the lost experience of those workers.
Special programs related to the exhibition will occur throughout the run of the exclusive exhibitions. On Saturday, April 20, at 3 p.m., artist Zhi Lin will be at the museum to speak about his art. On Saturday, May 4 at 3 p.m., Old Glory Vintage Dancers will present a historical dance demonstration and will provide instruction. On Monday, June 10, the museum will be open late for a night at the museum, with special hours from 6 to 9 p.m., and there will be a historical fashion show, showcasing the fashions of the 18th century to 20th century, starting at 6:30 p.m.
The exhibitions and related programming have been made possible through the generous sponsorship of Spike 150, and the Box Elder County Tourism Tax Advisory Board Golden Spike Sesquicentennial Grant.
The museum is located at 24 North 300 West. Hours of operation are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and 1 to 5 p.m. on Saturday. The Brigham City Museum of Art & History is northern Utah’s cultural hub, offering temporary
exhibitions on art (contemporary and historical) and history. The museum is a department of Brigham City Corporation and receives additional support from the Box Elder Museum Foundation.
Captions:
Union Pacific Officers at Promontory
Two Locomotives on Promontory Summit by Zhi Lin
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If you would like more information on this topic, please contact Museum Director/Curator Kaia Michaelis at kaia@boxeldermuseum.org or 435-226-1439.
