Rhode Islanders, what does the past mean to you?
That question lies at the heart of ReCollecting Rhode Island, a new project made possible by the EmcArts Arts Leaders as Cultural Innovators fellowship!
We’re asking all Rhode Island Facebook users to play a statewide game of show & tell by posting a treasured photo, artifact, heirloom, video, recipe, sound file, or anything else you value most from the past and sharing why you picked it, along with the hashtag #ReCollectingRI. Then, we’re asking you to tag three friends to do the same.
In the coming weeks, we hope to learn more about where Rhode Islanders are coming from. We aim to gain an understanding of how residents define history and heritage in 2015 so that we can better shape and share our public value, improve our programs, and engage in a deeper conversation – all while having a whole lot of fun!
Will you help us by taking part on Facebook? Here’s an example of what we’re looking for:
Please note that is just an unposted example for instructional purposes only, but you can expect several #ReCollectingRI posts on our Facebook page in the coming weeks: from our Executive Director C. Morgan Grefe, from our Director of Collections Kirsten Hammerstrom, and from our Newell D. Goff Center for Education and Public Programs Director Elyssa Tardif, among others, plus plenty of shares of posts we encounter across Facebook!
Maybe your great-great grandmother’s quilt, a recipe for a favorite family dish, a stack of love letters between parents, or a vintage postcard or home video will be one of them! We look forward to seeing what the past means to Rhode Islanders like you!
If you’re not on Facebook, feel free to send a few participants our way via other social media channels!
And stay tuned: In late October, we start taking ReCollecting Rhode Island to the street in cities and towns across the state, so we can talk face to face about how history + heritage impacts residents’ lives!
Update:
Here’s a report from our #ReCollectingRI live event in Kennedy Plaza!
