Consultation Phase
Consultation Phase for Creating Holyoke
April 2006-January 2007
Wistariahurst Museum, Enchanted Circle Theater, Holyoke Heritage State Park, The Children’s Museum and the Holyoke History Room at the Holyoke Public Library secured a National Endowment for the Humanities Consultation Grant for $10,000 to explore the city’s complex and fascinating history with the intention of letting it speak to today’s community. The National Endowment for the Humanities is an independent grant-making agency of the United States government dedicated to supporting research, education, preservation, and public programs in the humanities, and they fully funded our project, calling it “impressive” and “laudable.”
Consultants intimately involved in the project include: Ted Belsky Ed.D., professor emeritus of American International College with 20 years as Director of the Oral History Program, Ginetta E.B. Candelario Ph.D., Associate Professor in Sociology and Latin American & Latina/o Studies at Smith College, Daniel Czitrom Ph.D., Professor of History at Mount Holyoke College, Orlando Isaza, former Assistant to the President on Special Projects at Holyoke Community College, Bruce Laurie, Ph.D., Professor of History at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, M. Sue Thrasher, Ed.D., Coordinator of the Five College Public School Partnership for Five Colleges, Inc., Susan Fliss, Ph.D., Dartmouth College, and Marilyn Weiss Cruickshank, Museum Education Consultant.
Immigrants and migrants created Holyoke’s community. In this city of multiple economies, we see that in many ways, Holyoke is an industrial, working class city that went through the same processes as other cities nationwide. Holyoke, however, is unique in that it has re-invented itself each time an industry failed or a new group of immigrants or migrants entered the city. For over 150 years, Holyoke has retained its identity as a gateway city for immigrants, migrants and newcomers to begin new opportunities and make a better life for themselves. Creating Holyoke explores the themes of opportunity, family, religion, culture and leisure as an expression of immigrant and migrant lives.The project will also integrate school programming based on local history strands of the Massachusetts state-wide curriculum. These sites with exhibits will become locations of resources for local students, and scholars in the Five College area.
Project partners traveled to Lowell, MA, Lawrence, MA, Manchester, NH, Salem MA, Boston, MA, Washington D.C., New Bedford, MA, Providence, RI, and Historic Carlisle, PA to learn more about other collaborative efforts, exhibits on industrial history, economic development strategies and walking and driving tours.