On Friday, October 30 the Fairfield Museum and History Center will open a new exhibit, Celebrating Our Cultural Legacies: Fairfield’s Hungarian Community. The exhibit features bold and colorful Hungarian posters from 1920 – 1980 with dramatic graphics and powerful messages relating to subjects such as the break-up of the Austro-Hungarian Empire and the idyllic vision of life promoted by the post-WWII Communist government. (The posters are from the collection of Andre Farkas of Norwalk, CT.) The history of the local Hungarian community will be explored through traditional Hungarian artifacts loaned by area residents, including colorful embroideries, wood carvings, hand-woven textiles and traditional food preparation tools. In addition, photographs of families recently emigrated to the United States in the early 20th century will be on view, as well as some of the important documents they carried with them. An opening reception will take place on October 29 from 6pm – 8pm, and is co-sponsored by the Pannonia Club, Magyar Studies of America and Magyar News Online. The exhibit will be on display through Sunday, January 3, 2010.
Given its proximity to other metro areas, the Fairfield region is comprised of people from a wide variety of cultural backgrounds. To honor these groups, the Fairfield Museum and History Center has created an exhibition series called Celebrating Our Cultural Legacies that presents the fascinating stories of these distinct cultural groups. Fairfield and Bridgeport’s connection to Hungary dates to the late 19th century when millions of people from eastern European countries left their homeland to begin new lives in America. Although they were mainly from agrarian backgrounds, they found work in the industries of major cities and settled into the west end of Bridgeport and gradually into the east side of Fairfield. Although these areas are no longer distinctly ‘Hungarian’ neighborhoods, there are dozens of street names that reflect both the heroes of Hungarian history and the Hungarian families who settled there. This exhibit is the second in the museum’s Celebrating Our Cultural Legacies series.
The museum will present companion programs relating to the new exhibit. The film Searching For Wordin Avenue will be shown on Thursday, November 5 at 7pm. This film commemorates the Hungarian community in Bridgeport and the immigrant experience, particularly the people of Hungary and other countries who made America their home. A discussion with Robert Kranyik of Magyar News Online will follow. A Community Day entitled Celebrating Our Cultural Legacies will be held on Wednesday, November 11 from 1pm – 3pm when families can enjoy a scavenger hunt and family-friendly activities that explore our cultural heritage in the museum’s galleries. On Sunday, November 15 families of Hungarian descent are invited to Sharing Our Stories: Hungarian Culture from 2pm – 4pm. These families are invited to bring their family heirlooms, photographs, and documents, and to share their stories.(Anything very fragile, please bring photo instead.) Museum staff will explain how to care for artifacts and paper-based items, and have materials available for purchase. Please note that the Museum cannot provide appraisals. Lastly, there will be a Community Day for Hungarian Art and Culture on Friday, November 27 from 11am – 2pm. This family-friendly community day celebrates the Hungarian community in our region. View the displays on Hungarian culture, listen to music and color your own Hungarian folk designs. All programs are free for museum members. Non-members are free with admission. Visit www.fairfieldhs.org for details and please call 203-259-1598 to reserve your space.
Recent Comments