Objects. Things. Chances are pretty good that you have specific items in your possession that you have held onto for years. Items that have made it through every cross country move and survived all sorts of opportunities to land in a yard sale. For various reasons, we choose to hold onto these things. It’s these types of objects, especially ones in which we associate with a loved one or significant event, that are rich with meaning and highly valued. Valued not in a monetary sense but, valued by the memories and feelings that resonate within us when we see the object. These types of objects have the ability to transport us, to take us back to a specific time and place. There is a story to be told with these objects. Stories that can only be told by the ones that have a deep, personal connection to them. So I ask you this, what is that object for you? Maybe it’s knife your pops used while he butchered meat in the deli butcher shop he and your ma owned when you were in grade school. Maybe it’s a book that you and your sister would read together when a thunderstorm rolled through and neither one of you could sleep. Or maybe it’s a quilt that had been lovingly pieced, sewn and passed down to you from your grandmother. I think you get the point. These types of objects bring back all sorts of vivid memories and are highly treasured.
It is this thought in regards to objects and storytelling that has prompted us to develop our first community-wide collaborative project. It is our hope at Farwell House that our neighbors in the Schuyler county community will participate in a project we are calling, “Object of My Affection” (OOMA).
This three-phase project, led by local artists will focus on the use of an object of personal significance as a catalyst for connecting people, place, and histories. The project is designed around participants choosing a physical object that holds great value and importance in their life and then telling the story of that connection. Phase one will be individual interviews with participants where the participant tells the story of their connection with their chosen object. The team will record and photo document during this first interview. Phase two will focus on organizing and curating the work gathered for an exhibition and community celebration at Farwell House. For the exhibit, a framed, large format photograph of the participant holding their object will be on display along with a framed transcript of their story, preferably written in their own hand. It is our hope to display an assortment of these treasured objects as well. Phase three will be the culmination of the project with an opening reception and community potluck celebration. It is during this phase that we will invite the greater community to attend, see the work, and hear the stories from our participants. The stories and pictures gathered at the culmination of this project will then be archived on the Farwell House website to share with those outside of our community.
Of course, we need your help! Focused on community members from Schuyler Co., like yourself, we invite you to participate. Does this sound like something you would be interested in? Would you like to know more about the details of this project? If so, send us an email (farwellhouse1867@gmail.com) with the best way to contact you by Monday, July 26. Please be sure to include “OOMA” as the subject. We will add your name to our list of participants and be in touch.
Feel free to share this post with others in the Schuyler county community that you believe would be interested in becoming involved. We at Farwell House are really excited about this project and the opportunity to learn more about our neighbors that call Schuyler County Illinois home. Onward and Upward my friends.
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