Americans and the Holocaust Traveling Exhibition To Visit Valley Public Library November 1 – December 20

Americans and the Holocaust, a traveling exhibition from the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum, is on display at the Mendenhall Valley Public Library branch from November 1 to December 20. The exhibition examines the motives, pressures, and fears that shaped Americans’ response to Nazism, war, and genocide during the 1930s and 1940s.

Juneau Public Libraries is one of just 50 libraries across the United States selected to host the exhibition. “It’s a special opportunity to bring an exhibition of this scale directly to Juneau,” said JPL Director John Thill. “We hope this moving and powerful exhibition will inspire discussion and reflection not only about our past, but about our future as a community and as individuals in the world.”

The exhibition is open during Valley branch hours: Monday – Thursday 10 a.m. – 8 p.m., Friday 12 p.m. – 6 p.m., Saturday and Sunday 12 p.m. – 5 p.m.

Juneau Public Libraries will also host several events while the exhibition is on display, including a hands-on research workshop, historical lecture, and community discussion featuring Juneau residents. Events include:

Alaskan Newspapers and the Holocaust: Help with original research to find out what Alaskan newspapers reported about the Holocaust and contribute to the USHMM’s History Unfolded newspaper project. History Unfolded Community Manager Eric Schmalz will also give a talk about the project.

Holocaust Denialism and the Wilder Landscape of 21st Century Conspiracy Belief: UAS history professor Dr. David Noon will discuss the history of Holocaust misinformation and denialism, the role it has played in conspiracy theories, and how it has been affected by the internet

Family Stories – Juneau and the Holocaust: Several Juneau residents will share their personal family connections to the Holocaust, including stories of loss, survival, and how the Shoah has resonated throught the generations.

See the end of this post for complete event details. In addition to programs for the general public, Juneau Public Libraries is also hosting school field trips to visit the exhibit and a teacher training workshop. JPL thanks Congregation Sukkat Shalom for their invaluable assistance with these programs.

Based on extensive new research, Americans and the Holocaust explores the many factors—including the Great Depression, isolationism, xenophobia, racism and antisemitism—that influenced decisions made by U.S. organizations and individuals as they responded to Nazism. This exhibition challenges the visitor to consider the responsibilities and obstacles faced by those who made difficult choices, sought to effect change, and, in a few cases, took significant risks to help victims of Nazism even as rescue never became a government priority.

The touring library exhibition, which is based on the special exhibition of the same name at the Museum in Washington, D.C., will travel to U.S. libraries from 2020 to 2023. Over 250 libraries applied for 50 host opportunities. To learn more about the exhibition, visit ushmm.org/americans-ala.

Americans and the Holocaust: A Traveling Exhibition for Libraries is an educational initiative of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum and the American Library Association.

Americans and the Holocaust was made possible by the generous support of lead sponsor Jeannie & Jonathan Lavine. Additional major funding was provided by the Bildners — Joan & Allen z”l, Elisa Spungen & Rob, Nancy & Jim; and Jane and Daniel Och. The Museum’s exhibitions are also supported by the Lester Robbins and Sheila Johnson Robbins Traveling and Special Exhibitions Fund, established in 1990.

JPL Event Details

Alaskan Newspapers and the Holocaust
Thursday, November 17
Drop in for research: 10:15-11:45 a.m., 1:30-4:00 p.m.
Lecture: 12:00 p.m.
Andrew P. Kashevaroff (APK) Building, 395 Whitter Street
Featuring Eric Schmalz, Community Manager for USHMM History Unfolded Project

Holocaust Denialism and the Wilder Landscape of 21st Century Conspiracy Belief
Tuesday, December 6 at 6:00 p.m.
Mendenhall Valley Public Library, 3025 Dimond Park Loop
Featuring Dr. David Noon, University of Alaska Southeast Professor of History

Family Stories – Juneau and the Holocaust
Tuesday, December 20 at 6:00 p.m.
Mendenhall Valley Public Library, 3025 Dimond Park Loop
Featuring Juneau residents Rebecca Braun, Eva Bornstein, Helena Fagan, and Sheryl Weinberg

November 16th, 2022|

KTOO TV Program To Highlight Juneau COVID-19 ArtWorks Grant Recipients

Twelve artists awarded grants under the City & Borough of Juneau COVID-19 ArtWorks Program will be profiled in KTOO’s “Juneau Pandemic ArtWorks” television program, documenting the creative works they produced and their reflections on the impact of COVID-19 on the Juneau community.

The television program, which was produced in partnership between KTOO and the Juneau-Douglas City Museum, will air on KTOO 360TV on Thursdays at 8:30 p.m. from October 13 to November 3. It will also be available on demand on KTOO’s Roku channel and online at ktoo.org/watch.

In addition to the artists featured in each episode, City Museum Director Beth Weigel, former Juneau Arts and Humanities Council Executive Director Nancy DeCherney, and CBJ Economic Stabilization Task Force Co-Chair Max Mertz provide commentary and discussion. “This was a special opportunity for the three of us to talk about the impact of this program and the incredible work of these artists on our community,” said Weigel. “This collection of art will be a map of how we as a community navigated the COVID-19 worldwide pandemic.”

Beginning Friday, October 14, individual profile videos of each artist featured in the program will be posted online to the Juneau-Douglas City Museum website. A new video will be posted each Monday, Wednesday, and Friday through November 9. Follow the City Museum Facebook and Instagram accounts to see each video as it’s released.

The television program and online videos were funded by the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) via a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services, administered by the Alaska State Libraries, Archives & Museums.

The Juneau ArtWorks Program was funded in September 2020 by a CBJ Assembly appropriation of $300,000 of federal CARES Act funding, with the goal of creating employment for artists who lost gigs, had contracts or events cancelled, were laid off, or were otherwise put in a vulnerable position due to the COVID-19 pandemic. ArtWorks, which was administered by the Juneau Arts and Humanities Council, ultimately assisted 135 Juneau artists in creating 34 works of art.

Artists were asked to create works of art in any genre that would provide lasting documentation of the COVID-19 pandemic and its effect on the Juneau community. An introductory video states, “In the spirit of the Works Project Administration of the 1930s, the Juneau ArtWorks Program reflects the zeitgeist of the public health emergency and will remind us of how our community responded to the COVID-19 pandemic.”

The following artists will be featured in “Juneau Pandemic ArtWorks”:

Thursday, October 13: Marc Mintz, Della Cheney, Constance Baltuck
Thursday, October 20: MK MacNaughton, Larisa Manewal, Deb Temple
Thursday, October 27: Robert Mills, Puanani Maunu, Lily Hope
Thursday, November 3: Marissa Truitt, Abel Ryan, Rachael Juzeler

For a complete catalogue of works created as part of the Juneau ArtWorks Program, visit jahc.org/juneau-cares-artworks.

For information about the initial call for art, visit jahc.org/artworks-grant.

October 13th, 2022|

First Friday in July at the City Museum

Opening Reception for Arboretum Exhibit

On July 1 from 4-7pm the City Museum will host an opening reception for an exhibit titled Jensen-Olson Arboretum: Celebrating 15 years as a botanical gem. This is a free event and admission to the City Museum will also be free from 4-7pm.

This exhibit celebrates the Jensen-Olson Arboretum (JOA) and its benefactor, Caroline Jensen, though a largescale slide show, artwork, and information about the JOA. In addition, there will be a temporary pop-up exhibit of related items from the City Museum’s permanent collection. Docents and members of the Friends of the Jensen-Olson Arboretum will be present to share information about the JOA.

City Museum Kicks-off the Holiday Weekend with a Changing of the 49-Star U.S. Flag and the Alaska State Flag

On Friday, July 1 at 5pm the City Museum will be holding a changing of the flags ceremony on the front lawn to kick-off the July 4th holiday weekend. This event is free and admission to the City Museum will also be free from 4-7pm.

The flag changing event is in partnership with the American Legion Auke Bay Post 25 who will also provide education on how to properly handle and care for retired flags. Elizabeth Djajalie will sing the Star Spangled Banner during the flag changing ceremony and free build-your own wooden flag kits will be available courtesy of the American Legion Auke Bay Post 25 and the Friends of the Juneau Douglas City Museum. Free handheld Alaska State flags will be provided by the City Museum while supplies last.

The Veteran’s Memorial Building, currently home to the Juneau-Douglas City Museum was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2006. The first Juneau building to be built entirely with public funds, it is the site of the July 4th 1959 Statehood Ceremony when the 49-star flag was officially flown in Alaska’s Capital. The 49-star flag still flies today.

The Juneau-Douglas City Museum is located at 4th & Main Streets and is open 7 days a week from May through September. General information about the City Museum can be found online at juneau.org/museum, by calling (907)-586-3572, or by email at [email protected].

June 27th, 2022|

Juneau-Douglas City Museum moves to summer hours May 2; walking tours begin May 15

The Juneau-Douglas City Museum will shift to summer hours starting Monday, May 2. The museum will be open to the public:

  • Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
  • Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

General admission is $6, admission for seniors (65 and older) is $5, and children under 13 are free. As a Blue Star Museum, the City Museum offers free admission to active-duty military personnel, including the National Guard and Reserves, and their families.

Walking Tours

Historic Downtown Juneau walking tours begin May 15 and are offered Sunday and Tuesday through Friday. Alaska State Capitol tours begin May 16 and are offered Monday through Friday. In addition, the City Museum is offering special tours once a month from May through August. The special tours include the Treadwell Mines Historic Trail Walking Tour, the Death in Douglas True Crime Walking Tour, and the Capital Killers True Crime Walking Tour. Schedules and information about all tours may be found here.

For more information, contact the City Museum at 907-586-3572 or [email protected].

April 29th, 2022|

Rie Munoz retrospective opens at Juneau-Douglas City Museum May 6

One of Alaska’s best known artists, Rie Muñoz is famous for her watercolor paintings of the daily activities of ordinary Alaskan people. The Juneau-Douglas City Museum will display a collection of works spanning Muñoz’s lifetime in an exhibition titled, Portrait of Alaska, A Rie Muñoz Retrospective. The exhibit opens on Friday, May 6, and the museum is hosting a free opening reception that day from 4 to 7 p.m. Portrait of Alaska, A Rie Muñoz Retrospective will be on display through October 29.

In 2019, the Muñoz Family donated a collection of Rie Muñoz original artwork to the City Museum. Included in the donation were five original watercolor paintings, 55 original pen and ink political cartoons, and hundreds of newspaper clippings of Muñoz cartoons. In 2022, the Muñoz Family also donated 149 Rie Muñoz sketchbooks created between 1963 and 2013. These field sketchbooks were the basis for Muñoz’s work and were among her most cherished possessions. In all, the 149 sketchbooks chronicle 50 years of travel throughout Alaska.

Portrait of Alaska, A Rie Muñoz Retrospective includes original paintings, political cartoons, tapestries, sketchbooks, composite drawings, and a glimpse into the life and times of Rie Muñoz.

April 24th, 2022|
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