IL State Museum exhibit on Gen X gets two awards

Bradley Zimmerman
·1 min read

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WCIA) — An exhibit at the Illinois State Museum about Generation X recently received two awards from the state’s top museum organization.

The exhibit, called “Growing Up X” is said to be the first exhibit in the country to focus on Generation X. It explores the toys, technology and cultural touchstones familiar to those born between 1965 and 1980.

Now, it is an award-winning exhibit. The Illinois Association of Museums awarded Growing Up X an Award of Superior Achievement, the highest award given in the exhibits category, and the Innovation Award for the interactive rec room component of the exhibit.

That rec room is a hands-on recreation of a 1968 rec room, complete with vintage video games and stereo equipment, games, magazines and a floral couch.

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“Growing Up X was a special blend of nostalgia and history. Our curator of history and those who helped make the exhibit so special with crowd-sourced GenX stories created something truly unique and innovative,” said Jenn Edginton, interim director of the Illinois State Museum. “We’re excited that IAM honored our exhibit with these two awards.”

Although Growing Up X ended its time at the Springfield gallery of the Illinois State Museum, the exhibit is still on display at the museum’s satellite gallery in Lockport through June 15.

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