Information for Current Members | 50th Anniversary
In 2011, Peace Corps celebrates 50 years since the first volunteers were sent to Ghana, Tanzania, and the Philippines. RPCVs of Madison will be organizing public events to draw attention to the work of Peace Corps. The key event will be an art exhibit, “Bringing the World Back Home: 50 Years with the Peace Corps.”
ABOUT THE EXHIBIT
Bringing the World Back Home recognizes Wisconsin Peace Corps volunteers whose 50 years of service has affected thousands of lives in various parts of the world. This exhibition is a concrete way for returned volunteers in Dane County to share their experience. The art objects are windows into their memories and experiences with their overseas communities, and honor the people who welcomed them so warmly into their homes. In turn, the volunteers have been equally impacted by the cultures in which they found themselves. Most say “I gained so much more than I gave.” Returning home, they often brought artifacts with them, reminders of where they had been, of the people they had stayed with, and of the time they had shared.
These objects, in turn, carry information, providing a window into history. If each could speak, it would tell of its maker, culture, context, and materials. Some represent spiritual entities or sacred text. Some carry information about an exchange of ideas on a global level. Indigenous artisans once produced solely for local consumption, and some works in this exhibit reflect that focus. Increasingly, however, artists produce locally for an international market. Thus, cross-cultural influences are visible in many of the pieces displayed in this exhibition.
The goal of this exhibit is to present visual material that will expand cultural understanding and appreciation of both the differences and the commonality of our human condition. Carvings from Africa, textiles, pottery from Central and South America, and basketry from the Pacific Islands are included. Captions accompany each object, explaining what it is and where it was made. Statements by former volunteers will be included, telling of how they were affected and changed by their time in the Peace Corps, and how they brought that change back home with them. A catalog for the exhibition will record both the art and the memories.
The primary venue will be the Promega Corporation Art Showcase, with an opening on March 24, 4:30-6pm, and continuous display through May 2011.
The exhibit is supported by and in partnership with the UW African Studies Department, also celebrating their 50th anniversary in 2011. The intent is to honor 50 years of volunteer service and assess the impacts of the Peace Corps in Africa and beyond. The Peace Corps and Africa conference will be held from March 24-26, 2011, and will include African dance and movement, Peace Corps memories, and Peace Corps information tables.
Currently, exhibition venues include:
Promega Corporation Art Showcase, 5445 E. Cheryl Parkway, Fitchburg.
Open Monday-Friday 8am-4pm
March 24-May 31, 2011 [link to PromegaArtShowcase_Spring2011 and PressReleasePromega_Spring2011]
Sun Prairie Public Library, 1350 Linnerud Drive, Sun Prairie
Open Monday-Thursday 9am-9pm, Friday-Saturday 9am-5pm
April 2011
Goodman Center, 149 Waubesa Street, Madison
Open Monday-Friday 8am-5pm
March-April 2011
Mazomanie Free Library, 102 Brodhead St., Mazomanie
Open Monday-Thursday 10am-12pm and 2pm-7pm, Friday 10am-5pm, Saturday, 10am-1pm
March-April 2011
Children’s Museum, 100 N. Hamilton St., Madison
Open Monday-Wednesday and Friday-Sunday 9:30am-5pm, Thursday 9:30am-8pm
March-April 2011
Members of the RPCVs of Madison will be present at these event openings, and are also available for other speaking requests in the community. Contact the Speaker’s Bureau Coordinator to inquire about speaker availability.
For more information on current events, or to find out how you can participate, contact the Chair for the 50th Anniversary Committee.
Press release
OTHER MADISON EVENTS
March 5, 2011 - In collaboration with the Peace Corps UW Campus Recruiter, we will hold a Global House Party at the Overture Center’s International Festival. Join us for mini-presentations on Peace Corps service in countries around the world and linger for conversation over a cup of tea (Peace or Harmony tea) or coffee (offered by the Fair Trade Coffeehouse).
March 7, 2011 - WORT Access Hour (89.7FM from 7-8pm) will feature music, stories, and information about Peace Corps and the Madison RPCVs.
March 24-26, 2011 - Participating in the UW African Studies Program, “Peace Corps and Africa.” this conference features presentations by RPCV writers, poets and film makers; former US Ambassadors; Johnnie Carson, the US Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs; John Lange of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation’s Global Health Program; and more. The conference culminates in a public presentation featuring Aaron Williams, the Director of Peace Corps, followed by the Ultimate Peace Corps Dance Party at the Great Hall of the Memorial Union.
March 27, 2011 - In collaboration with the Regional Peace Corps office in Chicago and the National Peace Corps Association, there will be an “Around the World Expo” at the Monona Terrace. This is one of a series of 50th Anniversary expos being held around the country in 2011. This expo will highlight the work of the Peace Corps over the past 50 years, while engaging RPCVs and inspiring the next generation of Volunteers. It will be free and open to the public.
MORE INFORMATION ON 50TH ANNIVERSARY EVENTS COUNTRY-WIDE
Returned volunteer groups all over the country are organizing events, from house parties to local events to reunions here and abroad. How to keep track of it all?
Peace Corps and the National Peace Corps Association are collaborating to centralize and calendar communication about these events. Find events in cities you are traveling to, or find reunions worldwide at: http://events.peacecorps50.org/ |
