Skokie, IL, April 18, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Illinois Holocaust Museum & Education Center is proud to announce the creation of a groundbreaking core exhibition, Spagat Family Voices of Genocide Exhibition, which will debut on May 1, 2024.
“The world has changed since the Holocaust, but the human capacity for inhumanity has not. We need only look at the continuation of genocide, past and present, that still threatens the security, well-being, and lives of people across the globe. This is why Illinois Holocaust Museum & Education Center was founded and continues its groundbreaking efforts: to remember the past so we can transform the future,” said Bernard Cherkasov, Museum CEO.
Through Voices of Genocide, the Museum will be able to ensure this exhibition teaches hundreds of thousands of visitors in the years to come. The exhibition will help the Museum elevate voices of Survivors and descendants of genocides from across the globe while expanding awareness, fostering compassion and empathy, and empowering visitors with the knowledge needed to take a stand to prevent and respond to genocides, mass atrocities, and other human rights violations.
“We know genocide does not just happen, which is why we must understand and educate about how genocide occurs and why. Through the Voices of Genocide visitors will learn about the common conditions that exist across genocides and how knowing these warning signs can provide an agency to work toward intervention and prevention,” said Kelley Szany, Museum SVP of Exhibitions & Education.
Voices of Genocide will be a first-of-its-kind exhibition, revolutionizing the field of genocide memory and education. The exhibition will be broken down into 7-zones addressing the multitude of genocides throughout history and geography; exploring the definition of genocide and the tireless work of Polish-Jewish lawyer, Raphael Lemkin, who coined the term; the common condition and warning signs that create a genocidal environment and the process of repairing and rebuilding after. The exhibition will be anchored in testimony from Survivors and descendants of genocides in Armenia, Guatemala, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Rwanda, and Burma to weave the disparate elements of each atrocity into one larger message.
Funders:
Harvey L. Miller Supporting Foundation
Public Museum Capital Grants Program, Illinois Department of Natural Resources, Illinois State Museum
National Endowment for the Humanities
Exhibition Production Team
Bluecadet
Brave New Pictures
Luci Creative
Ravenswood Studio
About Illinois Holocaust Museum
Illinois Holocaust Museum & Education Center honors the Survivors and victims of the Holocaust and transforms history into current, relevant, and universal lessons in humanity. Through world-class exhibitions and programs, the Museum inspires individuals and organizations to remember the past and transform the future. The Museum is open Wednesday through Monday from 10:00 a.m. through 5:00 p.m. For more information, visit www.ilholocaustmuseum.org or call 847-967-4800.
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Sierra Wolff Illinois Holocaust Museum & Education Center 847-967-4835 sierra.wolff@ilhmec.org
