Join us as we welcome a panel of experts to discuss the first 100 years of the National Parks Service (NPS), what makes national parks vital to our cultural landscape, and some of the challenges facing parks in the 21st century. Robert G. Stanton, the first African-American NPS Director (1997-2001) and Fran P. Mainella, the first female NPS Director (2001-2006), will be on hand, along with Buffalo National River Park Superintendent Kevin Cheri and renown National Parks photographer Mark Burns. The panel will be moderated by Jim Gramann, professor in the Department of Recreation, Parks and Tourism at Texas A&M University. This event is being held in conjunction with the Museum’s current exhibit “The National Parks Photography Project: Celebrating the Centennial, 1916-2016.” This stunning exhibit features photography of each of the 59 National Parks, all taken by Mark Burns, and includes a section which pays tribute to early painters and photographers.

A reception will follow.