FALCON HEIGHTS, Minn. – When rocker Huey Lewis ended a 1984 state fair concert by leaving behind a pair of Nike tennis shoes, he likely never imagined they would wind up as a museum artifact.
Lewis' shoes are one of the items selected for inclusion in the Minnesota State Fair's new History and Heritage Center.
"It was like a pickers delight," said Terry Scheller, a graphic specialist for exhibits at the Minnesota Historical Society.
Scheller is part of a team from the historical society and the state fair that's spent three months selecting items for display from the collection of Gale Frost.
Frost, who passed away in 2007, served as curator of the state fair's previous museum, a cramped and cluttered building on the western edge of the fairgrounds.
The fair's old museum was torn down as part of the reconstruction of Heritage Square, soon to be known as West End Market. The new museum will be located within that project and should be complete for the start of this year's fair.
Between 1,500 and 2,000 items, including Lewis' shoes, were moved from the old museum to a temporary storage area on the second floor of a fair administration building.
From there, team members have been deciding which artifacts will go back on display, and which will remain in storage. Among the items making the cut is a glass jug once used by grandstand lemonade vendors. A seed art painting of Kirby Puckett will also be heading into the museum.
"Some of it was, 'This is a great story. Let's find an artifact for it,' and others were, 'This is a crazy artifact. What's the story?'" explained Scheller.
Visitors will find a modern museum with state of the art displays, though homage will be paid to Frost's hand painted signboards. The team has selected font style similar to Frost's printing.
Jan Bankey, who worked beside Frost and will serve as superintendent of the new museum, says her old friend would be pleased.
"So many things that he liked is going to be in that museum, and I know he's going to love it. I just feel that in my heart."
