Southern Ohio Museum is a great resource for all

Kate Pitts, Staff Writer

November 13, 2023

The Southern Ohio Museum and Cultural Center

The Southern Ohio Museum and Cultural Center is an accessible resource for Shawnee State University students and anyone else, offering free admission for everyone. Located at 825 Gallia Street in Portsmouth, the museum is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturdays.

The museum currently contains two permanent exhibits and various other temporary exhibits featuring artists native to the regional area. These exhibits include Native American artifacts and art pieces such as painting and sculptures.

Also inside the museum is a theater that seats 100 guests for music or other performing arts, a student art studio, a reading room with over 1,000 volumes and the museum’s gift shop.

The museum offers tours for K-12 schools and information pamphlets for self-guided tours. Many exhibits also include touch boxes which contain objects matching those on display that museum-goers can physically touch.

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While admission is free, donations are welcome.

“The income generated from the museum’s endowment does not meet the annual financial needs of the museum,” according to the museum’s website. To contact the museum about donations or anything else, call (740) 354-5629.

More information about the exhibits and museum itself can be found on the website: Southern Ohio Museum (somacc.com).

About the Contributor

Kate Pitts, Staff Writer

Kate Pitts is a 19-year-old English/humanities communication major in her sophomore year at Shawnee State University. Her goal is to be involved in journalism when she graduates. Her interests have always included reading and writing, and she likes finding out every little thing she can about something. The combination of these passions has led her to pursue a path to journalism so that she can do what she loves all of the time.

She has many hobbies, including reading stories and watching television. Her tastes in books and television shows are eclectic, showing that she has a broad variety of interests. In high school, she was involved in both the art club and the Spanish club. In college, she is focusing on her school work and working hard to pursue her future in journalism. Originally, she thought that she wanted to be an education major, but it did not take long for her to realize that this path was not for her.

She also loves watching YouTube commentary YouTubers. This demonstrates her interest in learning as much as possible about any subject that she is pursuing. This skill is important in a reporter because it will lend to her credibility when she gathers as much data as she can about a story as she writes it.

Another thing that she loves to do in her free time is going with her friend to antique shops to find unique vintage items like old records. Pitts loves thrifting because she loves to find unique things that cannot be found in other stores. Her creativity and ability to spot interesting things missed by others are part of what makes her such a valuable member of the Chronicle staff.