Join us for two lectures at Powell Gardens for Painted Garden opening day that includes complimentary admission to the Gardens to enjoy the day's festivities!
Complimentary tickets are limited to four (4) per transaction and are available while supplies last. (Discount automatically applies in shopping cart.)
Need more tickets? Additional general admission is available here. All guests are welcome to attend the lectures, though capacity is limited.
Keynote Lecture: Matt Reed, Pawnee Nation Tribal Historic Preservation Officer
CONIFER ROOM at Visitor Center | 12:30 - 2:00 pm
Matt Reed will present a keynote lecture exploring Pawnee buffalo culture, Indigenous stewardship, and the enduring relationship between people and the prairie. Drawing from Pawnee history, cultural knowledge, and lived practice, Reed will examine how the bison shaped systems of governance, community responsibility, and connection to place.
This lecture will invite audiences to consider the prairie not only as an ecological landscape, but as a cultural and civic one, shaped by generations of Indigenous knowledge and care. Reed will also reflect on how these perspectives continue to inform contemporary conversations around stewardship, identity, and shared responsibility for the land.
The presentation is a central component of The Prairie is Our Home exhibition, offering a humanities-based lens that deepens the visitor experience and encourages thoughtful engagement with the prairie as part of our collective story.
Prairie in Missouri: Past, Present, and Future
Presented by Missouri Prairie Foundation Director Carol Davit
CONIFER ROOM at Visitor Center | 2:00 pm
Join Carol Davit, Director of the Missouri Prairie Foundation, for an engaging look at Missouri’s prairie landscape. This presentation will explore the rich history of prairies in the state, their incredible biodiversity, and why their conservation matters now more than ever. Carol will also share practical insight into using native prairie plants in home and public landscapes, helping connect people, plants, and place.
Visitors can also connect with the Missouri Prairie Foundation at their booth throughout the day, featuring educational materials and a hands-on prairie root demonstration.
This program is supported in part by a grant from the Missouri Humanities Council, with funding provided by the National Endowment for the Humanities. The views, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this program do not necessarily represent those of the Missouri Humanities Council or the National Endowment for the Humanities.
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