People involved with the May 22 tornado that hit Jefferson City, Eldon and places between - residents who lived through the storm, and emergency personnel and volunteers who responded - have the opportunity to share and preserve their stories through the Missouri State Museum, which plans to open a temporary exhibit on the storm before next spring.
The museum's director Tiffany Patterson said whether a display on the tornado opens up at the state Capitol as soon as this fall or early in the winter depends somewhat on the kind of material gathered, for now, people have "all summer, into the fall" to write down and submit their experiences at a writing station in the Reflection Room of the Elizabeth Rozier Gallery inside the Union Hotel at Jefferson Landing State Historic Site.
Patterson said the Rozier Gallery will be closed for a few days in August, but there will probably be something at the Lohman building across the street during that time.
The Rozier Gallery is open 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday.
Beyond gathering people's written accounts of the tornado, Patterson said the hope is to start recording interviews in the next three or four weeks.
Photos of damage and clean-up are also welcome to be submitted at [email protected].
Patterson said that same email address is where people can submit photos of artifacts they might also want to submit to a future exhibit; submitting photos will get a conversation about that started.
She said "we have a committee that looks at any other possible donation," and whether an artifact is accepted depends on things such as its size, ability to be maintained and preserved and what story the item tells.
Patterson said that while people can loan things that would be returned after the exhibit closes, any written submission will be maintained by the museum in its collection.
She wrote in a letter to the News Tribune on May 31: "We think Jefferson City residents will be talking about the (tornado) for years to come, and visitors to the city will wonder and ask questions. (The exhibit) won't be long-term, nor will it be as polished as some exhibits that we're planning. However, I do think it will be an important story for the people of Jefferson City to tell to those who visit. As a community, we may want another way to show that the city and its people are, as is going around social media, #JCStrong."
Patterson said people with questions can call her at 573-522-6949.