Watkins Museum partners with Sister Cities Lawrence and KU students on new exhibit

Lawrence – The Watkins Museum of History and local non-profit organization Sister Cities Lawrence worked

with several University of Kansas Museum Studies students to create the latest exhibit, Four Corners of

Friendship: Sister Cities Lawrence. The colorful display of artwork, maps, and photographs in the museum’s

second-floor gallery shares the history of Sister Cities Lawrence and the organization’s role in fostering

relationships between Lawrence residents and three global cities: Eutin, Germany; Hiratsuka, Japan; and

Iniades, Greece.

A Sister Cities Advisory Board was first established by the Lawrence City Commission in 1987. When looking

for potential sister cities, the advisory board searched for metropolises with strong ties to the University of

Kansas and the potential for cultural and educational exchanges. In 2018, the advisory board became the

independent non-profit Sister Cities Lawrence overseeing the formal connections to the three sister cities.

Today, the organization hosts trips and high school exchange student programs with each city to encourage

peace and understanding between citizens and learning among different cultures.

Four Corners of Friendship: Sister Cities Lawrence is on display at the Watkins Museum of History until May 4,

2024. The exhibit was developed, fabricated, and installed by University of Kansas students enrolled in the

Museum Studies class, MUSE 703: Introduction to Museum Exhibits, taught by the Watkins Museum’s

Executive Director Steve Nowak and former Curator of Collections and Exhibits Brittany Keegan.

For more information about the Watkins Museum visit www.watkinsmuseum.org, or email questions or

requests for more information to info@watkinsmuseum.org.