Carter exhibit opens Oct. 8

Published 10:37 pm Saturday, October 1, 2011

A brand new exhibit opening on Oct. 8 will shine the spotlight on the life of President Jimmy Carter at the Georgia Museum of Agriculture and Historic Village, operated by Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College.

“Jimmy Carter: Georgia’s Native Son” will open at 10:30 a.m. on Oct. 8 along with another rare exhibit, “Mules & Presidents: The Folk Pottery of Huey and Anne Wheeler.” Both exhibits will run simultaneously at the museum. The pottery exhibit will remain open until Jan.7, 2012, and the Jimmy Carter exhibit will be at the Museum until April 2012. Exhibit hours are from 9-4:30 p.m., Tuesday-Saturday.

“Jimmy Carter: Georgia’s Native Son” chronicles President Carter’s remarkable life, from his roots in Plains to his White House years and humanitarian career through The Carter Center. The display is packed with rare photos and artifacts, giving viewers a snapshot of Carter’s life as a peanut farmer, politician, president, humanitarian, and Nobel Peace Prize winner. It was assembled last year and displayed at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport until September.

“Working with The Carter Center to bring this special exhibit to the museum has been one of the highlights of the summer for us,” said Paul Willis, GMA director. “We are honored to have been chosen as a host site and look forward to sharing it with the community and our visitors.”

The exhibit gives a rare inside look at the efforts of the not-for-profit Carter Center to advance human rights and alleviate suffering in developing nations.  The center was founded by Carter and former first lady Rosalynn Carter after they left the White House and is the base from which they have led missions to advance peace and health worldwide for nearly 30     years.

ABAC President David Bridges said Carter was instrumental in the creation of the Agrirama when he was the governor of Georgia.

“It is fitting that a display honoring America’s former president be displayed at Georgia’s Museum of Agriculture,” said Bridges. “We are excited to work with the Carter Center to bring this display to south Georgia.”

This event is sponsored by The Peanut Institute Foundation, a non-profit organization that supports nutrition research and develops educational programs to encourage healthful lifestyles; and by Frank and Janet McGill. Frank McGill is an ABAC alumnus (Class of ’49) who was the first recipient of the Georgia Peanut Commission Hall of Fame Award.

The Tifton Farmers’ Market is partnering with the museum to host a peanut-themed reception for the exhibit opening, featuring samples of various treats prepared by local cooks with locally grown peanuts.