As we grow older, things change. We grow, learn, and transform. Our wisdom sharpens as our bodies age, and time marches on. But there are some things that endure – continuities intentionally preserved or accidentally maintained between generations or across the lifespan. It is to these things that we can turn to remind ourselves of where we came from, and who it is that we are. The objects collected here each represent for their keepers some part of the past that remains present – in practice or in spirit – in character traits, ethical stances, personal passions, or family traditions.
Family Traditions
Rituals, in anthropological perspective, are repetitious acts that help us to form and refresh our identities. The objects grouped here have each born witness to childhood family rituals. Even if the acts themselves are not completely maintained today, the spirit of these rituals often lives on.
Contributions by: Wayne Evans, Eri Yasuhara, and Rachel Clark
The Apple & The Apple Tree
“The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.” This old saying is meant to suggest that offspring often resemble their parents. The objects grouped here reveal stories of carrying on like one’s forbearers. Sometimes these resemblances are a point of fond reflection. Other times, the apple embarks on a quest to plant its roots elsewhere, and to establish its own grove.
Contributions by: A. Rafik Mohamed, Nic Montanez, and Denny Shorett
Tracings
When you look back at your childhood, you can sometimes see the emergence of who you are today. There are traits that you possessed then and still do, or the origins of interests that developed into lifelong passions. The objects grouped here help to tell these sorts of stories. They are reflections on becoming who it is that we were always destined to become.
Contributions by: Annette Johnson, Jennifer Grisham, and Angela Lloyd
Select stories are available online now. Additional stories will be made available after the exhibition closes in March 2017.