Gerald R. Ford Library and Museum
Events and Exhibits Calendar

View pictures of recent events at the Ford Library and Museum

For information on events at the Ford Museum in Grand Rapids, Michigan, please call (616) 254-0400.

For information on events at the Ford Library in Ann Arbor, Michigan, please call
(734) 205-0555.

Read Press Releases of up-coming and past events at the Ford Library and Museum

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EXHIBITS

The Life and Times of Gerald R. Ford
Opened September 2, 2008
ANN ARBOR -- A new permanent lobby exhibit presenting the timeline of Gerald Ford’s life story, featuring over 100 seldom-seen documents and photos from Library collections. Complements the Betty Ford Biography permanent exhibit that opened in April 2008 celebrating her 90th birthday.

White House in Miniature January 20 through May 24, 2009 GRAND RAPIDS -- The White House in Miniature exhibit will be back at the Gerald R. Ford Museum.  Americans will now have the chance to get an insiders tour of "The Presidents' House" without the hassles of traveling to the nation's capital. That is why John and Jan Zweifel have labored since 1962 to create The White House in Miniature, a breathtaking scale model of the White House that is 60 feet long and 20 feet wide. The replica took more than 35 years to research, design and construct. Among the features are tiny, working televisions, hand-carved chairs and tables, crystal chandeliers, portraits and miniature carpets that reproduce the originals stitch by stitch- each nuance of the White House is painstakingly reproduced to capture the elegance of one of the world's most recognized residences.

Economy in Crisis, 1974 - 1975
February 17, 2009 to Winter 2010
ANN ARBOR -- Economic crises on an international scale are not new, and President Ford inherited a tough one in 1974. A new exhibit at the Ford Library in Ann Arbor shows how he attacked a witch's brew of inflation, recession, budget deficits, and oil supply worries.

This exhibit features rarely seen artifacts and archival materials from the Ford Library and Museum collections.

A Child in the White House - Caroline Kennedy’s Dolls June 19 through August 31, 2009 GRAND RAPIDS -- More than 70 dolls and puppets from 30 countries were given to young Caroline Kennedy, beginning in 1961 when her family entered the White House through 1963 when tragedy ended their brief residency.  Foreign dignitaries and first ladies – including Italy's Prime Minister Amintore Fanfani, the Ivory Coast's President Houphouet-Boigny, India's Indira Gandhi, Monaco's Princess Grace, and France's Madame de Gaulle – presented dolls to the First Daughter as state gifts. Other dolls in the collection were gifts from foreign citizens. On loan from the John F. Kennedy Library.

Musings June 19 through August 31, 2009 GRAND RAPIDS -- The word musing is based on the noun muse, meaning the goddess of art in Greek mythology, one of the nine daughters of Zeus and Mnemosyne, goddess of memory. The Muses inspire and preside over the creative arts. On display beginning June 19, 2009 at the Gerald R. Ford Museum is a collection of art quilts created by members of the Studio Art Quilts Association or "SAQA." Included are 29 art quilts from across the United States. The SAQA is a non profit organization whose mission is to promote the art quilt through education , exhibitions, professional development and documentation. The organization was founded in 1989 by a group of fifty artists and now has over two thousand members. Sandra Sider, a contemporary quilt artist, critic and independent curator was the sole juror for Musings. In the past, Ms. Sider was the sole juror for numerous other SAQA quilt shows. She teaches art history and is a regular contributor to Fiberarts Magazine and other trade journals.

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SPEAKERS AND PROGRAMS

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DEADLINES

Gerald R. Ford Foundation Research Travel Grants
March 15, 2009 (Spring)
September 15, 2009 (Fall)
ANN ARBOR -- Application deadline. The Gerald R. Ford Foundation awards several research travel grants of up to $2,000 each in support of research in the holdings of the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library. A grant defrays travel, living, and photocopy expenses of a research trip to the Ford Library. More information.

Gerald R. Ford Scholar Award in Honor of Robert M. Teeter
May 1, 2009
ANN ARBOR -- Application deadline. A grant of $5000 is awarded annually to support dissertation research on any aspect of the United States political process during the latter part of the 20th century. More information.

Last Updated: May 5, 2009