August Events Announced at National WWI Museum and Memorial

Outdoor events allowing for social distancing, the debut of a new exhibition about the women's suffrage movement and a series of engaging online presentations are among the August offerings from the National WWI Museum and Memorial.

The Summer Movie Series returns on Friday, Aug. 13 with a screening of the ground-breaking film They Shall Not Grow Old from Oscar-winner Peter Jackson. Grab a favorite blanket, snacks and some lawn chairs to watch this seminal documentary featuring restored/colorized WWI footage on a 23-foot jumbo screen. The event is free with RSVP, but a limited number of spaces are available.

Guests can come together on Saturday, Aug. 29 from 5-8:15 p.m. for the socially-distanced Jazz on the Lawn: A Modern Picnic. The event celebrates the spirit of the early 1920s with the hottest jazz band in town, Grand Marquis, as well as former Mayor Sly James and DJ Hartzell Gray. People are invited to bring their own picnic or enjoy a meal from food trucks as they take in panoramic views of Kansas City. Tickets start at just $35 for members and $45 for non-members. Space is limited, so attendees are encouraged to order tickets soon at theworldwar.org/jazzpicnic.

Rounding out the slate of outdoor events is the annual program Living the Great War from 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 29. This free program features the Living History Volunteer Corps and vehicles from the Military Vehicle Preservation Association. Guests are invited to view a variety of collections that bring them closer to the history of the Great War.

The new exhibition, Votes & Voices, tells the story of the women's suffrage movement, largely from the perspective of those who fought for the right to vote. It features an expansive timeline that carefully examines the fight for suffrage, beginning in 1492. Throughout the exhibition, the mantra "the cure for the ills of democracy is more democracy" acts as a central theme, pulling together a variety of feminist voices to show the struggles fought to gain suffrage for all women. Entry to the exhibition is included with general admission to the Museum and Memorial. In conjunction with the exhibition, the Museum and Memorial is hosting When Women Won the Right to Vote: History, Myth and Memory. The free Zoom presentation at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 12 features Dr. Lisa Tetrault, Associate Professor of History at Carnegie Mellon University, exploring the common misunderstandings of the 19th Amendment and the pursuit of voting rights.

The longstanding program Mrs. Wilson's Knitting Circle returns at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, Aug. 1. Just as in WWI, knitting is a way to share comfort and bring a community of friends together to talk, laugh and create. Whether starting out or an expert able to share knowledge with beginners, all handcrafters and non-crafters are welcome to join this free Zoom presentation.

Dr. Yiğit Akin of Ohio State University joins the Museum and Memorial on Monday, Aug. 10 at 6:30 p.m. for The Making of the Modern Middle East, a free Zoom presentation. This essential discussion centers around the fall of the Ottoman Empire and the centennial anniversary of the Treaty of Sèvres.

To assist educators around the world, the Museum and Memorial is hosting a variety of free webinars that explore the enduring impact of WWI with primary source documents and digital resources. The WWI Changed America series of webinars cover a wide range of topics, from the origins of global feminism to influenza and Alaska's Dena'ina population.

The National WWI Museum and Memorial holds the most comprehensive collection of World War I objects and documents in the world and is the second- oldest- public museum dedicated to preserving the object, history and personal experiences of the war.

August National WWI Museum and Memorial events

• Saturday, Aug. 1, 10:30 a.m.: Mrs. Wilson's Knitting Circle (online presentation)
• Tuesday, Aug. 4, 3 p.m.: World War I, the Paris Peace Conference, and the Origins of Feminism (webinar)
• Thursday, Aug. 6, 3 p.m.: The Women's Hour: Our Fight for the Right to Vote (webinar)
• Monday, Aug. 10, 6:30 p.m.: The Making of the Modern Middle East (online presentation)
• Tuesday, Aug. 11, 3 p.m.: Influenza and Alaska's Dena'ina population (webinar)
• Wednesday, Aug. 12, 6:30 p.m.: When Women Won the Right to Vote: History, Myth and Memory (online presentation)
• Thursday, Aug. 13, 3 p.m.: The Enduring Legacy of WWI on the Middle East Today (webinar)
• Friday, Aug. 14, 8:45 p.m.: Summer Movie Series: They Shall Not Grow Old
• Saturday, Aug. 29, 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.: Living the Great War
• Saturday, Aug. 29, 5 p.m. - 8:15 p.m.: Jazz on the Lawn: A Modern Picnic

To post a comment, you must register and login.