October 13 – October 15, Everson Museum of Art
Syracuse, NY…A new historical project launches on the weekend of October 13 with the aim of creating an inclusive living archive of Syracuse’s history through family photographs and the stories they tell.
On October 13, 14, and 15, Family Pictures Syracuse is inviting local community members to the Everson Museum of Art to share their family photographs and the stories behind them as part of a unique effort to preserve often-overlooked and marginalized people and parts of the city’s history.
“Treasured photographs that line the walls of our homes or lay in wait, carefully curated and organized in boxes tucked away under the beds of the elders, serve as entry-points into our family and local histories while at the same time, do the work of amplifying the love, joy, and complexities of Black lives, lived. Images shape what will become and what has become the accepted narratives of History, Family Pictures Syracuse aims to employ a reparative framework to our local history by including the images and stories of the very people who are Syracuse,” said Jessica Terry-Elliott, a PhD Candidate of history at Syracuse University and a member of the Turning the Lens collective which is organizing the project in collaboration with the Family Pictures Institute for Inclusive Storytelling. “These personal photos are repositories not just for family histories but also of communities that have long been excluded from public historical narratives. We see this project as fundamentally reparative in this respect.”
The weekend kicks off with a screening of “Through a Lens Darkly: Black Photographers and the Emergence of a People,” by Thomas Allen Harris, at 6:00 pm, Friday, October 13 at the Everson Museum. The documentary unveils hidden and unknown photographs shot by African American photographers through history. The film opens a window into the lives of Black families and their experiences, which are often left out of the traditional historical record. After the screening, Harris will discuss the power of inclusive storytelling through family pictures.
From 9:00 am to 2:00 pm on Saturday, October 14, community members are invited to the Everson to share their family photos and stories.
- Photos will be preserved through digital scanning and become part of a publicly accessible archive.
- Stories about the photos will be recorded at interview stations.
- People can have a portrait taken of themselves and their family members holding their photos.
There will be activities for children and people can learn more about photo preservation.
From 2:00 to 4:00 pm, on Sunday, October 15, at the Everson, there will be an interactive grand finale event with live performances and special guests.
The entire event is free and open to the public. Tickets are not required but reserving a spot in Saturday’s photo-share event is highly recommended via EventBrite: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/family-pictures-syracuse-family-photo-share-day-tickets-725170202597
Organizers believe the community’s photos and stories are especially important to preserve as the city prepares for significant urban transformation with the dismantling of the 1-81 viaduct and the redevelopment of public housing within the city.
“This weekend of events is meant to celebrate the launch of a project that members of our community can participate in building together–and that’s important. We have so much to learn from one another, and the archive we hope to build using the stories shared at these events will be one that centers public memory and our everyday histories. So, we encourage everyone to come out, bring your photographs, and be a part of the festivities,” said Caroline Charles, a co-organizer of the project and a PhD Candidate in English at Syracuse University.
The launch of Family Pictures Syracuse is a collaboration amongst multiple Syracuse University colleges, schools, centers and offices (including the Special Collection Research Center, Light Work, The Humanities Center, Community Folk Art Center) as well as community institutions, including Onondaga Historical Association, Everson Museum of Art, and the Northside Learning Center.
