Park Central Branch Library

The Museum Studies Exhibit space is a component of the Art and Design Department and is operated by the faculty and students of the Art History & Visual Culture and Museum Studies Programs at Missouri State University.

The mission of the Museum Studies Exhibit Space is to provide exhibitions of art and artifacts from local museums and collections with interpretative labels and didactic display texts that have been researched and written by students and faculty of the Art History & Visual Culture and Museum Studies areas. As a service to the community, Museum Studies Exhibits are a public showcase for undergraduate scholarship and provide Museum Studies students with professional experience in curation and exhibition design.

The Museum Studies Exhibit Space is made possible by a 2024 Missouri Humanities Council Major Grant project directed by Dr. Billie Follensbee, which funded the purchase of the display cases for this exhibit space. The display cases have been placed on long-term loan with the Park Central Branch Library, in collaboration with the Department of Art and Design, Missouri State University.

Helping to Bring the Humanities to the Public Square

Exhibition Program Schedule, Fall 2025

Conservation and Restoration of Vintage Toys
October 17, 2025 - February 6, 2026
Closing reception on February 6, 2026, First Friday Art Walk

This exhibition features six hide-covered pull-along horse toys, ca. 1870-1930, that were cleaned, repaired, and restored by Emery Wilcoxon as part of her 2025 internship with the History Museum on the Square. Emery completed this internship for her Museum Studies major program in the Department of Art and Design at Missouri State University. 

 Also displayed are a group of badly damaged vintage dolls, ca. 1820-1980, that were donated for cleaning, repair, and restoration by the Missouri Historical Society, St. Louis. These dolls are slated for conservation in the next offering of the Missouri State University’s Basic Conservation of Art and Artifacts class, taught by Dr. Billie Follensbee.

The exhibitions on conservation and restoration in the Museum Studies Exhibit Space at Park Central Library Branch are curated by Dr. Billie Follensbee, Museum Studies Program Coordinator, and researched by advanced students in the MSU Museum Studies program.

Contact information: 

Dr. Billie Follensbee, Department of Art and Design, Missouri State University

Email: BillieFollensbee@missouristate.edu

Telephone: 417-837-2337