History and Architecture Talk with Allen Rapacz
Schedule
Thu, 28 May, 2026 at 06:30 pm
UTC-06:00Location
301 2nd Ave N, Great Falls, MT, United States, Montana 59401 | Great Falls, MT
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Join us in the Cordingley Room for a one of a kind talk!History and Architecture Talk with Allen Rapacz
Allen Rapacz will be leading us through a history talk about the bombing of Pearl Harbor and what life was like at the Heart Mountain Japanese Internment Camp. Allen spent many years working on the Heart Mountain Interpretive Learning Center, and will share his story with the group. The Heart Mountain Interpretive Learning Center tells the local story of Japanese-Americans based on economic jealousy, social injustice, racism, and war hysteria. Special emphasis was given to the U.S. Constitution, civil liberties, rights and ethics awareness. After Pearl Harbor, our U.S. government transported approximately 14,000 Japanese-Americans citizens to Heart Mountain to live in a barbed wire compound. The museum, partially funded by a National Parks Service grant, represents pre-camp life, camp life, and post camp life with a special emphasis on “Will this happen again?!” Spaces include a video theater, rotating exhibit space, archive library, gift shop, and curatorial space.
Allen Rapacz, a 1982 graduate of North Dakota State University, began his architectural career with Foss Architects in the Fargo– Moorhead region of North Dakota and Minnesota. In October 1982, he relocated to Billings, Montana, where he helped establish and operate the firm’s branch office.
In 1986, Schutz Foss Architects (SFA) was formed and has since grown into a respected regional architectural design firm. Licensed in Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, Kansas, Idaho, Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Utah, the firm provides a broad range of design services, including civic, healthcare, liturgical, and residential projects. Many Design Awards have been achieved including a National AIA award in 2016.
Throughout his career, Allen Rapacz has provided design leadership and played a key role in project development and firm expansion, including the establishment of branch offices in Gillette, Wyoming, and Dickinson, North Dakota. Over the course of his career, he has been involved in more than 2,500 projects. Among the most notable are the Heart Mountain Interpretive Learning Center and the Mineta-Simpson Institute, both of which reflect a strong commitment to projects of historical and cultural significance.
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Where is it happening?
301 2nd Ave N, Great Falls, MT, United States, Montana 59401Event Location & Nearby Stays:
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