Arab American National Museum seeks artifacts of community and public service in US

STORIES, ARTIFACTS FROM ARAB AMERICAN PUBLIC SERVANTS SOUGHT FOR UPCOMING EXHIBITION

Dearborn, MI (November 17, 2009) – The Arab American National Museum is issuing a nationwide call for stories and artifacts for potential inclusion in its exhibition Arab Americans in Service to Our Country, set to open in February 2012.

This exhibition will allow the Museum to document and present to audiences the public service-oriented contributions of Arab Americans to our society. This timely exhibition serves the Museum’s mission to “document, preserve and educate the public about the history, life, culture and contributions of Arab Americans.”

Target Communities

This exhibition will reflect the experiences of Arab Americans regardless of time of immigration, religious affiliation, national origin or place of residency. We seek individual and organizational stories, artifacts and historical documents that reflect the Arab American experience through public service in the following areas: Peace Corps; AmeriCorps; City Year; Teach for America; all branches of the U.S. Armed Forces; U.S. diplomatic corps; and municipal police and fire departments. Collected artifacts and historical documents can be donated or loaned to the Museum.

Items Requested

The AANM is seeking items that represent the diversity of the Arab American experience, including representation from all states, all Arab American communities, and all of the aforementioned service areas. Potential items include: oral histories; medals, awards, and other honors; letters and documents; personal objects; uniforms or other clothing worn by servicepersons; or photographs and memorabilia collected during the period of service.

How to Submit Items for Consideration

Those who have artifacts to submit for potential inclusion in the exhibition should provide contact information and a brief description of the items to Suzy Mazloum, Curator of Collections, at 313.624.0229 or smazloum@accesscommunity.org. The Museum will then contact potential lenders directly for more information. Lenders will be credited for items selected for display in the exhibition.

************

The Arab American National Museum documents, preserves, celebrates and educates the public on the history, life, culture and contributions of Arab Americans. It serves as a resource to enhance knowledge and understanding about Arab Americans and their presence in this country. The Arab American National Museum is a project of ACCESS, a Dearborn, Michigan-based nonprofit human services and cultural organization. Learn more at www.arabamericanmuseum.org and www.accesscommunity.org.

The Arab American National Museum is a proud Affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C. Read about the Affiliations program at http://affiliations.si.edu.

The Museum is located at 13624 Michigan Avenue, Dearborn, MI, 48126. Museum hours: 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday; noon-5 p.m. Sunday. Closed Monday, Tuesday; Thanksgiving, Christmas Day and New Year’s Day. Admission is $6 for adults; $3 for students, seniors and children 6-12; ages 5 and under, free. Call 313.582.2266 for further information.

###

***********************

Kim Silarski

Communications

313.624.0206