How this place came to be
As a museum tasked with educating the general public in the history of the Holocaust, discrimination, persecution, and immigration, OJMCHE works to make connections from the past to the present. Quantitatively, discrimination, persecution, and immigration are important—and complex—interests for our diverse audiences, and, qualitatively, the stakes have escalated in our fraught political environment. The interpretation of such histories, therefore, demands both broad and deep consideration. At OJMCHE we teach visitors how to recognize the roots of hate, how to instill values of inclusion and respect, and how to participate in an inclusive, vibrant democracy built on understanding and reconciling differences.
The idea for the Lab emerged from conversations with museum staff and a variety of advisors who recognize that broader themes emanating from our core exhibitions – acceptance, mutual respect, human rights, and democracy – demand further scrutiny. Addressing these themes by engaging with community partners on exhibitions and public presentations in the Lab is both mission-driven and speaks to our goal to provide a forum for intercultural dialogue with other communities. We are committed to creating a space where people will be able to feel more deeply connected to the world around them and find their own voices. This is one of the most important lessons we can teach: that indifference, passivity, and inaction can lead to disastrous results.
What this place is about
The LAB has been created for the inspiration, support, and enrichment of individuals and groups committed to fostering intercultural dialogue. It is a living counterbalance to the histories contained in the Museum exhibitions. The LAB houses a multi-media library, gallery, and work-lounge space.
The LAB website is a resource open for contributions from the community. We are interested in hosting exhibitions, artist talks, panel discussions, interviews, and workshops and we are open to your ideas. Check us out and get involved!
Portland, Oregon lies within the traditional homelands of the Multnomah, Oregon City Tumwater, Watlala, and Clackamas Chinooks and the Tualatin Kalapuya Peoples who were relocated to the Grand Ronde Reservation under the Kalapuya etc., 1855, ratified treaty (also known as the Willamette Valley Treaty, 1855). Today, these Tribes are a part of the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde. The Grand Ronde people continue to maintain a connection to their ancestral homelands and maintain their traditional cultural practices.
Thanks to the Donors
The LAB has been generously funded by:
- Collins Foundation
- Jackson Foundation
- Juan Young Trust
- Oregon Heritage Commission
- Oregon Jewish Community Youth Foundation
- Pacific Power Foundation
- Regional Arts and Culture Council
- Siletz Tribal Charitable Contribution Fund
- Wells Fargo
- Women’s Philanthropy Giving Circle of the Jewish Federation of Greater Portland
- Bari Isaacson and David and Liz Lippoff in honor of Rosalie Goodman’s 90th Birthday
The LAB was conceived and developed by artist and educator
Sara Siestreem (Hanis Coos)
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Disclaimer
This is a free use space created for the empowerment, support, and enrichment of individuals and groups who experience oppression of any kind. It is a living counter balance to the histories contained in the Museum and that permeate our daily lives that we will activate together. The LAB will house a multi-media library, gallery, and work-lounge space. A starter list of possible uses for the space and adjoining overflow areas are movie night, dance party, poetry reading, club hours, mentor-ship meeting, Elder-Youth interface, professional training resource, language classes, storytelling, marriages, youth groups, artist residency, and endurance performance. The LAB will host public Art Exhibitions, Artist Talks, Panel Discussions, Interviews, Community Awareness Gathering, and Workshops.
The LAB will also occupy space in the Museum website. This resource is open for the community contribution. It will house a digital activist and art history library with writings, gallery, and video, a blog that will chronicle the use of the space generated by the users and Lab Director and a resource roster.