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Cedar Valley Seminary Foundation: Leeman Education Center

Cedar Valley Seminary
 

Inspiring future generations through

the incredible stories of real people.

For over 150 years, the Cedar Valley Seminary has been a cornerstone for the town of Osage, Iowa. Once serving as home to a junior college, historical society, and even a museum, the building is rich with cultural significance and holds a deep connection to residents of the community. 

 

With the acquisition of an old newspaper publishing building, the Cedar Valley Seminary Foundation (CVSF) sought to create an experience that showcased its storied history and inspire future generations by highlighting Mitchell County's influential leaders. That’s when they turned to Dimensional Innovations for its exhibit design expertise and to help bring their vision to life.

 

 

What began as an exhibit honoring Gerald “Germ” Leeman, Osage native and Silver medal wrestler in the 1948 Olympic Games, grew into so much more: ten individual exhibits that highlight incredible stories stemming from this tight-knit community. DI’s team worked closely with the foundation’s directors to ensure that the stories held true to historic veracity and paid proper homage to the community’s heroes, who have made both local and international impacts. Those exhibits include:

  • A 3ft-diameter replica of Germ’s silver medal — with a sculpted facsimile of the ribbon — resides in close proximity to a display case housing the original Olympic medal and other wrestling memorabilia
  • Bill Fox exhibit that includes his original flight suit, models of planes he designed, and a 1:12 scale, 3D printed replica of the Blackbird Spy Plane suspended from the ceiling
  • Mr. Robert Kern, son of a former Osage Minister and Mitchell County benefactor featuring an illuminated bible emphasizing faith in one’s life
  • “Stop the Presses” interactive that allows visitors to search through and read old editions of local newspapers—paying homage to the building’s origins as a newspaper printing press
  • An interactive touchscreen that allows visitors to delve deeper into the various subjects covered in the exhibits
  • A Wall of Heroes featuring sixteen notable accomplished Mitchell County natives

“It doesn’t matter where you come from—you can make a difference.” This is the thread that wove the community and its many incredible stories together. The dedicated DI Content Team collaborated with Seminary leaders and conducted detailed research to develop an encyclopedic volume of content to support these stories. In keeping with the values of the Seminary founders, in-depth educational programming is interspersed throughout the exhibits, supported by a robust K-12 teachers’ guide that adheres to the Iowa state curriculum standards, making the learning center a popular new destination for the surrounding school districts.

K-12 Curriculum

Supported through the exhibits and programming

3Ft

Replica of Germ’s silver medal with a sculpted facsimile of the ribbon

 

Testimonials

"Thanks to DI, we are now at a place where we have our physical exhibits, yes, but the potential is unlimited. We are able to continue to tell stories in different categories and timelines. And that's just the beginning..."

Joyce Ruehlow, Board President, Cedar Valley Seminary Foundation

Talk to Our Experts

Whether you have a fully-baked idea or are just exploring the possible, our proven-effective approach makes it easy to help you determine where to start and how DI can help. We'd love to learn more!

 

Get in Touch
Carole Hollman

Carole Hollman

Practice Director - Cultural

With over 13 years of experience in the museum design/build world, Carole has successfully led and facilitated large-scale exhibit and interpretive projects of national importance around the country for over a decade. Carole’s passion... more about Carole Hollman Carole Hollman Carole Hollman Practice Director - Cultural

With over 13 years of experience in the museum design/build world, Carole has successfully led and facilitated large-scale exhibit and interpretive projects of national importance around the country for over a decade. Carole’s passion for storytelling and her love of the non-profit, educational world make her a natural and compassionate leader in this field. Her combined skills and professional experience make her a powerful listener, communicator, client liaison, internal and external group facilitator, conceptual thinker, visionary, and team leader.

Having spent 20+ years in a number of different creative and educational fields, she brings an added design mentality and the benefits of cross-industry experience to any project. She has an extensive background across a wide range of fields, including: Museum and Exhibit Design and Fabrication; Software Design and Development; Healthcare and Healthcare Education/Certification; Professional and Continuing Education; and K-12 Educational Design.

As the project leader, Carole’s main goal is to assemble the best team for each project, set them up for highest success, and let them do what they do best, while staying personally involved at a high level from beginning to end. Notable past projects include: The Amelia Earhart Hangar Museum; Wonderscope Children’s Museum; UNMC McGoogan Library Wigton Heritage Center; Dane G. Hansen Museum; Zoo Knoxville, KidScape at the Johnson County Museum, and the Kansas Museum of History.

Paul Martin

Paul Martin

Director of Transit and Advanced Manufacturing

Brought onboard to Dimensional Innovations in 2020, Paul has over 20 years of experience developing and executing some of the world’s most challenging architectural cladding projects. He specializes in working directly with design,... more about Paul Martin Paul Martin Paul Martin Director of Transit and Advanced Manufacturing

Brought onboard to Dimensional Innovations in 2020, Paul has over 20 years of experience developing and executing some of the world’s most challenging architectural cladding projects. He specializes in working directly with design, ownership, and contracting teams to refine and optimize designs for fabrication and installation. Using DI’s advanced CNC equipment, including the largest 3D printer commercially available, Paul is able to assist designers in realizing their most ambitious projects, while working directly with the Operations group to ensure budget and schedule expectations. Paul is also able to leverage the vast capabilities with DI’s design and technology departments to further enhance the projects under development. 

 

Paul earned a Bachelors of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Iowa State University. He often presents his work at industry conferences and guest lectures at various university programs.

 
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Every big opportunity starts with a small step forward. We're here to help you! Let’s jump on the phone, say hello, and discuss your virtual meeting or experience need, in a quick 15-minute FIT call. Prefer email? That's cool, too! Drop us a line - we're always happy to connect.

Get In Touch With Our Experts

Every big opportunity starts with a small step forward. We're here to help you! Let’s jump on the phone, say hello and discuss your need, idea or project in a quick 15-minute FIT call. Prefer email? That's cool, too! Drop us a line - we're always happy to connect.

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