Turning Old Spaces into Modern Places

Get an insider's view of repurposing historic buildings at the Sept. 26, 2023 meeting of CoMo Preservation.

Amanda J. Staley Harrison, assistant curator of MU Museum of Anthropology, has been involved in bringing the Museum of Anthrology back to MU's campus and moving it into Ellis Library, a 1915 building

Amanda joined the Museum of Anthropology in 2014. At the time, it was housed in Swallow Hall, built in 1893. Later, Missouri’s only anthropology museum moved and reopened in 2017 in yet another historic building, the 1938 Ellis Fischel State Cancer Hospital, then renamed Mizzou North. The building was demolished in 2022.

Today, she’s involved in the Museum’s most recent move into a historic building as it takes up residence in the lower level of the 1915 Ellis Library. The Museum of Anthropology is scheduled to reopen in 2024.

The Museum of Anthropology itself dates back to 1885 when MU began accepting ethnographic materials. Today, its collections include artifacts from 9,000 B.C. to modern times with most of its items coming from North America, Africa, Asia, and South America.

In addition to her work at the Museum, Amanda served on the City of Columbia’s Historic Preservation Commission and as chair of the Commission. She was also named to the 13-member Mayor’s Task Force on the Bicentennial Celebration helping to plan Columbia’s 2018-2021 commemoration of the founding of Smithton in 1818, which then became Columbia in 1821.

Before serving on the HPC, Amanda served as the city’s first Heritage Scholar. Working with Columbia communications officer Toni Messina, Amanda created a special exhibit titled, “Columbia’s First Social Network.”

Amanda oversees communications for the Museum of Anthropology as well as exhibit design, and maintains the security of the collections. She also develops and coordinates museum events, tours, lectures, and volunteer programs.