See below letter with an update from the Holland Museum!
Good Afternoon,
The Holland Museum recently created a new strategic plan which we finalized at the end of June. The work included input from the entire board, staff and over 80 members of community. The results are a road map for the next three years. We have a new mission, Preserving our Past, Imagining our Future, and vision; To be a Cultural Leader and Community Collaborator, Inspiring the Next Generation of Leaders, Thinkers and Innovators.
Within the plan we identified our values; Community, Curiosity, Education, Inclusion, Stewardship and Impact, and four key priorities:
- Creating Sustainability
- Being Visible in the Community
- Sharing our Collection and
- Celebrating our Diversity.
We are excited about the direction we are taking and I hope that you will be enthusiastic and supportive of our plans and goals as well. With this work in mind, we are launching an exhibit which opens to the public on November 15th and correlates directly with our mission, vision and priorities.
The exhibit is called THEM: Images of Separation. It showcases items from popular culture used to stereotype groups of people. Negative imagery found on post cards, license plates, games, souvenirs and costumes has promoted stereotyping against such groups as African-Americans, Asian Americans, Hispanics, Jews, and poor whites, as well as those who are ”other” in terms of body type or sexual orientation. This important exhibition is one of the traveling displays from the Jim Crow Museum of Racist Memorabilia at Ferris State University.
The exhibit is designed to start conversations about issues related to social justice including racism. As a cultural leader, the Holland Museum feels it is our responsibility to provide a safe space to engage, share and perhaps help to move the needle forward in making change. As Martin Luther King Jr. stated, “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere”.
During the course of the exhibit and beyond, we will offer resources obtained from local and regional organizations so that visitors who want to personally get involved in fighting discrimination will have information on how they may get started.
We are grateful to our sponsors whose support makes both the exhibit and corresponding lectures, panels and demonstrations possible. To date our sponsors are: The Meijer Foundation, the Herman Miller Cares Foundation, Spectrum Health- Zeeland David and Carol Myers and Michigan Humanities. Many individuals have also signed on to participate in the programs, and volunteer in numerous capacities.
This project aligns with the Museum’s long term goals and additional programs are being planned going forward. These are important and sometimes difficult conversations to have. Through them, we can learn to be a more welcoming, equitable and just community.
Please let me know if you have any questions or would like to help in any way.
I look forward to seeing you here at the Museum soon.
Ricki L. Levine
Executive Director
Holland Museum