‘Mounds, Moon, and Stars’ to highlight Native American history and culture

Exhibit is the first in the renovated Gallery Museum at Pyramid Hill in Hamilton

“Mounds, Moon, and Stars,” the legacy of Ohio’s Earthworks, is the first exhibition to be displayed in the newly refreshed Gallery Museum at Pyramid Hill Sculpture Park & Museum. The exhibition will be on view through Sunday, July 28.

“‘Mounds, Moon, and Stars’ is a celebration of the people of the Hopewell culture, and their really innovative outlook, and the things that they did around this area in Ohio,” said Delaney French, marketing and sales manager at Pyramid Hill.

Curated by Marcus Boroughs and Belinda Gore of Great Circle Alliance, the “Mounds, Moon, and Stars” exhibition will share the architecture, art and astronomy of the Hopewell culture. The exhibition also includes modern commentary on some of the ancient artifacts.

“One of the notable things that the Hopewell people did was create these Newark Earthworks sites, which is what we know them as today. So, the exhibition is a combination of celebrating the Earthworks sites as well as the artifacts that we have from their culture,” said French.

Visitors will explore and learn more about the Hopewell culture through the exhibit, which will include artifacts, such as arrowhead pieces, and jewelry as well as imagery of the outdoor Earthworks in Ohio.

Highlighting Native American history and culture, the exhibit will share more about the purpose of the Earthworks and what they were designed for in addition to educating the public about the architecture and engineering.

“There is so much to be learned about the Hopewell culture, and this exhibition will be the way to discover more and explore it,” French said. “This exhibition is going to give people a lot of background on the Hopewell culture, and the really rich culture that is here in Ohio.”

The Gallery Museum, formerly the Ancient Sculpture Museum, recently underwent renovations to become the new gallery space. The Gallery Museum will host rotating contemporary exhibitions and serve as a space for educational programming and enhanced rental opportunities. The Gallery Museum is open from noon to 5 p.m. daily.

“Mounds, Moon, and Stars” at Pyramid Hill was funded by a grant from Greater Cincinnati Foundation. The exhibition was curated by the Great Circle Alliance and made possible with funding in part by Ohio Humanities. Pyramid Hill season sponsors are ArtsWave, The Hamilton Community Foundation, and the Harry T. Wilks Family Foundation.

How to go

What: Mounds, Moon, and Stars exhibition

Where: Gallery Museum, Pyramid Hill Sculpture Park and Museum, 1763 Hamilton-Cleves Road, Hamilton

When: Gallery hours are noon to 5 p.m. daily.

Cost: The exhibition is free with paid admission to the park. Adult admission to the park is $10; Children ages 6 to 12 are $5 and ages 5 and under are free. Free for members.

More info: Visit www.pyramidhill.org.