Muscatine Community College (MCC) will host the traveling exhibition Stories of Survival: Object. Image. Memory.
The exhibition is free and open to the public from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Feb. 12 - 16, and will be on display in Loper Hall.
Created by the Illinois Holocaust Museum and photographer Jim Lommasson, the exhibition reflects on the stories of 32 survivors of the Holocaust and genocides and conflicts including Armenia, Bosnia, Cambodia, Iraq and Syria, Rwanda, and South Sudan.
Their stories are told through photographs and personal reflections, which are exhibited on 23 banners highlighting precious objects from a survivor. A teddy bear, a set of house keys, a typewriter – everyday objects that ordinarily provide convenience or comfort take on deeper meaning and become storytellers when they are remnants left from a world destroyed.
Through handwritten memories, themes of childhood, home, culture, and religious practice emerge, as do themes of war, violence, displacement, and exile. The stories of survival represent shared human experiences: resilience and courage, the fragility of life, family history, and hope for the future.
This landmark exhibition traveled across the United States after its premiere at the Illinois Holocaust Museum in 2018. Those planning to attend can learn more about the exhibition on the Illinois Holocaust Museum’s website. In addition, videos about the exhibition and how the stories were caputured are available under the “Film Library" tab.
About the Illinois Holocaust Museum & Education Center
The Illinois Holocaust Museum & Education Center in Skokie, Illinois was founded by Holocaust survivors in response to neo-Nazi activities in Skokie in 1978. With the mission to “remember the past and transform the future,” the exhibition draws from the Museum’s significant collection of artifacts from Holocaust survivors, while also pulling from rich connections with other genocide-affected communities. Stories of Survival was honored by both the American Alliance of Museums and the American Association of State and Local History for Excellence in Exhibition.