Contact Person: Dina Goodman
651.292.3276                                                                                                                                            dgoodman@landmarkcenter.org
 

Landmark Center re-opens renovated Landmark Gallery“A Landmark Reclaimed:  From Federal Building to Community Icon” 

Saint Paul, MN— The building that local journalist and author Larry Millett heralded as “St. Paul’s very own fairytale castle” welcomes the newly renovated and re-envisioned Landmark Gallery. Thursday, September 24th will mark the grand opening of the “A Landmark Reclaimed: From Federal Building to Community Icon” in the Landmark Gallery, a permanent exhibition located on the lower level of Landmark Center. The exhibit chronicles the history of Landmark Center and the people who made it the community icon it is today.   The public is invited to the exhibition opening and meet the designers, as well as enjoy music and light refreshments on Thursday, September 24 from 5 pm-7 pm.  

The Landmark Gallery was established by the Landmark Center Volunteer Association in 1987 for the purposes of exhibiting and sharing the history of Landmark Center.  The redesign was developed by Outhouse Exhibit Services of Minneapolis, a unique consulting and fabrication company that provides full service exhibit design and development -- from initial concepts through construction and installation.  Its other major clients include the Los Angeles Zoo and the Academy of Natural Sciences in Philadelphia. “The dedicated staff of Landmark Center and Landmark Center Volunteer Association had a vision and clear purpose for this gallery. The renewed exhibit captures the true essence of the building and the people that have made it come to life over the years. It’s a great compliment to the volunteer-led tours as well as a great experience on its own.”

The exhibit features large exhibit panels and graphics, and full-sized replicas of notable historical characters and everyday people, guiding visitors through the gallery space. One such “everyday person” is Fred Poferl, a mailman who worked in the Uptown Post Office at Landmark Center for over 33 years.  When he was profiled for the exhibit, the Poferl family provided personal photos and stories for the exhibition.  Upon viewing the almost-completed exhibition in early September, the family recognized a postal worker in 1925, in a jaunty pose with apple in hand, from one of the most familiar postal photos of the era.  It was young Fred.

Such special stories abound within the exhibit.  Members of the media are invited to preview the exhibit and learn how local community members made this building what we see today. Please contact Dina Goodman (dgoodman@landmarkcenter.org, 651.292.3276) to learn more.

Landmark Center, owned and sponsored by Ramsey County, is located in downtown St. Paul at 75 West 5th Street, facing Rice Park, next to the Ordway Center for the Performing Arts and The Saint Paul Hotel.  Landmark Center is accessible to those with impaired mobility.  Parking is available on street and in nearby Macy's, Lawson, Science Museum and RiverCentre Ramps. For more information call 651.292.3276 or visit www.landmarkcenter.org .