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Free online lectures: Explore a world of ideas

Funding provided by:

Worcester Historical Museum

Worcester Historical Museum (WHM) is the only institution devoted to local history. It includes a research library of over 7,000 titles, an archive that houses thousands of documents, and a collection of artifacts, all vital to the study of Worcester history. A few examples of WHM’s holdings include correspondence of abolitionist Abby Kelley Foster, Blackstone Canal Company records, Civil War era diaries and letters, and artifacts including early woodenware and ceramics, weaponry from the colonial era through World War II, paintings and sculptures, and a significant costume and textile collection.

WHM also owns and operates Salisbury Mansion, Worcester’s only historic house museum. Built in 1772, it has been restored to its 1830s appearance. Thanks to the voluminous family papers, preserved at the American Antiquarian Society, it is one of the best documented historic houses in New England.

Worcester’s history is interpreted through a calendar of exhibitions, educational programming, tours and publications. WHM features both permanent installations and changing exhibitions.

http://www.worcesterhistory.org/

Strike A Pose: Voguing, Chosen Family, & the Queer Community

Fri, Nov 8, 2019

A forum to explore communities that were formed around the voguing scene as well as the concept of chosen family within the LGBTQIA+ communities within Worcester. Born from the nightlife of 1960s New York, vogue has been in symbiosis with the queer Latino and African American ballroom scene. Due to its popularization in the 1990s, mainly through Jennie Livingston’s Paris is Burning (1990) and Madonna’s “Vogue” (1990), the practice of voguing and the scene have moved from the margins to a mainstream site of visibility and have been established as a celebration tradition in LGBTQIA+ communities worldwide.

Forum Network

Partner:

Worcester Historical Museum
LGBTQing A City

Wed, Oct 2, 2019

Each year since 2014, the Human Rights Campaign has awarded Worcester a perfect score for being an LGBTQ+ inclusive city. This assessment is based largely on legal and employment protections. A community conversation moderated by Professor Stephanie Yuhl explores what additional concrete initiatives Worcester civic leaders and community members might pursue to enhance the lives of LGBTQ+ residents. How might the needs, hopes, and aspirations of the city’s LGBTQ+ community enhance Worcester’s recently released 10-year Cultural Plan? Panelists include LGBTQ+ leaders from neighboring cities Providence and Boston, as well as Worcester City leadership. Image: Event Photo via [Facebook](http://www.facebook.com/lgbtqinthewoo/photos/gm.970977596593174/1198616457010356/?type=3&theater)

Forum Network

Partner:

Worcester Historical Museum