Museum exhibit on Geneva's Girls School to open
The Geneva History Museum will host a VIP/members only exhibition opening from 6 to 8 p.m. Friday, Feb. 5, of the feature exhibition, "Who Was Sadie Cooksey?," a photographic exploration regarding the Illinois State Training School for Girls in Geneva.
At 6:30 p.m. special guest speaker, Linda Tart, resident of the Girls' School from 1961-62, will tell her story of how her stay in Geneva made a difference in her life.
The origin of the exhibition "Who Was Sadie Cooksey?" reaches back to 1979 when photographer Maggie Foskett stumbled onto an isolated cemetery on the former grounds of the Illinois State Training School for Delinquent Girls in Geneva. The Girls School, as it is known by locals, was located south of the railroad tracks on Route 25, where the Fox Run subdivision is today.
The Girls School has always been a subject of interest for the community. The cemetery raises questions, as it is the only physical reminder of the school's presence. However, the stories of delinquent girls and attempted escapes are its legacy.
For Maggie Foskett, photographer and former Genevan, the gravestone names in that abandoned school cemetery spoke to her, begging her to seek the truth behind the stories. After much research, she developed this exhibition to offer insight into the school's history while weaving stories of a wayward girl's life and the social stigmas placed on her. All this packaged in an artful and visually dynamic way.
In 2004-2005, she exhibited "Who Was Sadie Cooksey?" at the Center for Main Contemporary Art in Rockport, Maine and at the Reed Art Gallery, University of Maine, Presque Isle, Maine. In 2011, she wanted it to travel to its place of origin. The Geneva History Museum exhibited it with overwhelming response from the public. Foskett then graciously donated the exhibition to the Museum. In memory of her 2014 death, the museum has resurrected the exhibition to honor Foskett and her inspirational photography career and subsequent passion for the Girls School.
This exhibition is a reminder of forgotten girls and a demolished institution. From creator to subject, it is steeped in Geneva's history; it is Geneva's history. It is an important history that needs to be retold, not only to reflect upon, but to contemplate present and future social practices. This book, an abridged version of the exhibition, was developed so the legacy of the school and its girls become more than a few scandalous stories.
The exhibition will be open to the public 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays, Feb. 6-Nov. 7, at 113 S. Third St., Geneva. Admission is $2 per person, free for museum members, and includes the main gallery, "Geneva's Story."
For information, visit GenevaHistoryMuseum.org or call (630) 232-4951.