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Media contacts:
Carolyn Marinan, Communications, 612-348-5969
Kim Insley, Meet Minneapolis Public Relations and Communication Manager, 612-767-8118
Minneapolis and
representatives from Tours, France, a Minneapolis Sister City, are proud to
present “The Americans in Tours (les américains à tours): 1917-1919,” an exhibit
commemorating the 100th anniversary of World War I that will be on display in the Hennepin Gallery at the Hennepin County Government Center. Thousands of
Americans, including Minnesotans, were stationed in Tours, France, and the
exhibit features historical photographs and documents marking the arrival of
the Americans in Tours, as well as their lives and work.
This special exhibit recalls a unique time in
history when U.S. service members served in the Services of Supply (SOS) and
the American Expeditionary Forces (AEF). Tours, France, served as headquarters
for the SOS. The efforts of Americans in Tours were critical for the success of
U.S. soldiers on the battlefield and also laid the groundwork for a lasting
connection between the U.S. and France – one that lives today through the
Sister City relationship.
Minneapolis and Tours have been connected
through the Sister Cities program since 1991. Tours is one of 12 Minneapolis
Sister Cities. The Minneapolis program started in 1961 with the signing of the
first Sister Cities agreement with Santiago, Chile, with the intent of fostering
people-to-people citizen diplomacy. The program, managed by Meet Minneapolis,
also includes Cuernavaca, Mexico; Eldoret,
Kenya; Harbin, China; Ibaraki City, Japan; Kuopio, Finland; Novosibirsk,
Russia; Winnipeg, Canada; Uppsala, Sweden; Najaf, Iraq; and Bosaso, Somalia. For
more information about the Meet Minneapolis Sister Cities program, see their Sister Cities website
and the Minneapolis/Tours site.
The Hennepin Gallery is free and
open to the public Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., at the Hennepin
County Government Center, A-level, 300 South Sixth Street, Minneapolis.
The exhibit is sponsored by and
the gallery is a project of Hennepin County Communications.
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Look for more news on the Hennepin County website at www.hennepin.us/news.
Discover how we're making a difference in our communities at www.hennepin.us/stories.
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