Rich in history, much like the Appalachian region it honors, the Reece Museum is a fixture not only of campus life but also of all of East Tennessee. Having originated in 1928 as an exhibit of student heritage, filling the third floor of Sherrod Library with donated artifacts, it was not fully actualized as a museum until 1965. The B. Carroll Reece Memorial Museum of today endures as a descendent of the original dream: a “storehouse of knowledge” as current director, Rebecca Proffitt, puts it.
Her connection with the museum runs deeper than simple leadership; her personal favorite exhibit, the first she ever curated, was “Suffrage in Southern Appalachia” in 2020 which marked the centennial of the 19th Amendment’s passing. The exhibit offered both an opportunity to pay tribute to a crucial chapter of the region’s history and more importantly, a chance for both community and campus to connect. Proffitt says this is the priority of the museum: “Connections between past, present, and future is our main goal.”
With over 20,000 artifacts in its collection, the Reece Museum eagerly welcomes anyone to utilize its resources, offering everything from audiences for public speakers to exhibits for artwork. With opportunities to flourish within the curation field, the Reece Museum is a beneficial facility for those seeking to breach the world of museum studies, art curation, or archival work. “If you are interested in getting into the [museum] world, there is a lot of space for you to do an internship or join our student organization,” says Proffitt.
On and off campus, the museum remains a steadfast supporter of the inclusion of local partners. “Our real role is to connect the campus to the community and open up our doors to whoever has a great idea come in and share it with the community, with us,” Proffitt says, focusing on the goal of prioritizing collaboration above all. The Reece Museum is a gem in ETSU’s crown, continuing to serve the community by preserving, celebrating and examining all facets of East Tennessee’s heritage.
