Events: ILLUMINATION

The Springfield History Museum is working to overcome the white supremacy inherent in museum institutions including gatekeeping and erasure. We are working to address this harm with projects and special exhibits like ILLUMINATION, that build relationships and trust with members of the community who have been historically marginalized and left out of the historical narrative. We hope that 25-100 years from now and beyond, the History Museum will offer a more inclusive representation of the people of Springfield today -- their stories, contributions, struggles, successes etc.

The land we call Springfield today is home to more than 60,000 residents, all of whom have unique personal and ancestral stories that contribute to our collective history, and our rich, multicultural present.

ILLUMINATION invites us to discover more about our neighbors, our forebears, and perhaps a little more about ourselves along the way…

We use interviews, photographs and personal objects to share stories that illuminate the intersectionality of our Springfield identity. This year our talented team includes Aimee Yogi, Thomas Hiura and Mimi Nolledo who are working with the community to explore what it means to be an Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander in Springfield, Oregon.

The culminating works from this project will all become part of the Springfield History Museum archive, available to the public. Selected images and narratives will also become part of the permanent heritage exhibit on display at the museum.

This annual exhibit is a celebration of community sourced narratives that reflect the plurality of voices in Springfield, Oregon. We hope you'll join us on this evolving journey that explores who we are.

If you're Asian American, Native Hawaiian and/or Pacific Islander and you live, work, volunteer and/or attend school in Springfield, Oregon -- we want YOUR story. You contribute to and are shaped by this community.

You can fill out our web form below and/or visit a story box and handwrite a postcard at any one of the following locations:

• Springfield History Museum
  590 Main St. Springfield OR 97477
• Springfield Public Library
  225 5th St. Suite 301, Springfield OR 97477
• Uptown Asian Grocery
  1460 Mohawk Blvd. Springfield OR 97477
• Hawaiian Time
  1865 Olympic St. Springfield OR 97477
• Hearts for Hospice Resale Store
  444 Main St. Springfield OR 97477
• Willamalane's Bob Keefer Center
  250 S 32nd St. Springfield OR 97478
• Chopstix Chinese Cuisine
  631 W Centennial Blvd, Springfield OR 97477
• White Lotus Gallery
  767 Willamette St. Eugene OR 97401

Stories can include a memory, a funny anecdote, a traumatic event, sharing the pride of service where you work, the impact of your volunteer contributions, recalling when you fell in love or had your first child, sharing your or your families journey here...