Sonia Kharbanda

EXCELLENT EXIHIBIT. The Minnesota Historical Society’s “Girlhood (It’s Complicated)” exhibit highlights women in a variety of fields throughout American history.

Colorful, compelling and comprehensive: three words that come to mind while exploring the Minnesota History Center’s “Girlhood (It’s Complicated)” special exhibit. Created by the National Museum of American History and the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service, the exhibit analyzes the history of women in the U.S. across five sectors: politics, education, health, work and fashion.

Though dimly lit and almost overwhelmingly full of information, the open floor plan facilitates a choose-your-own-adventure experience. Each of the five subcategories has a specific location and color palette, but the areas are overlapping and related, indicating certain commonalities of girlhood that rise above an individual sector. For example, the fashion section examines girls’ use of clothing to break established expectations, tying into the emphasis on female advocacy in the politics zone. Health and wellness highlights the ways in which the media has scrutinized female bodies, similar to historical references about girls’ abilities in math and science in the education section.

Furthermore, visitors of all ages will appreciate the exhibit’s interactivity; TV screens playing informative videos the length of a TikTok can be found in each section. The fashion wing features a DIY station with coloring sheets of outfits from different eras, while the education zone delves into coding with an iPad available to play games developed by women. The health area even offers museum-goers an opportunity to write themselves into history, as viewers are invited to respond to sample questions (“What did you learn in school about how to be a girl?” and “What do politicians need to know about girls today?”) and post their comments on the wall display. Of course, the exhibit also boasts more typical artifacts, including diary entries and a gigantic throstle used to spin wool and cotton, but the user-friendly elements add modernity to timelessness.

A highlight of the exhibit is the Minnesota Historical Society’s curated section on the history of girls basketball in Minnesota. Various display cases tell the stories of influential women’s basketball players and the early Minnesota teams. The SPA gym and girls basketball team even make an appearance; the back wall features a projected highlight reel of clips from Minnesota high school girls basketball games, including a few from a game several years ago against Minneapolis Edison.

Although the exhibit often discusses events and issues from a century ago, it remains as fitting and relevant as ever. The curators’ commitment to an intersectional understanding of girlhood shines through, with examinations of racial, financial and regional barriers that impact girls’ experiences in each area of focus. In addition, the exhibit takes care to celebrate women’s diverse contributions in every role they play: workers, activists, athletes, artists, and more.

With its range and sheer scale of content, the museum doors do not lead to a clear definition of girlhood. Rather, as its name suggests, the exhibit asserts the ways, both everyday and extraordinary, that girls have changed the course of history.

“Girlhood (It’s Complicated)” is on display until June 1.