Rise, Fall, Rebirth: Stories of the West End

Reopening the WEM will include the introduction of a new exhibit, and while everything remains a work in progress (including the title), the core concept is beginning to take shape.

The key features of the new exhibit will be:

1. Modularity: The Museum is not creating a new permanent exhibition, at least not exactly. “A Changing Neighborhood” will, itself, change. Space will be allocated to cover a variety of topics, including urban renewal, immigration, the Black North Slope, etc.; however, the content of each of these will shift in the form of new temporary exhibits — making the “permanent” exhibit a shell that will hold various temporary ones.
2. More interactivity, dynamic content, and digital displays: We intend to introduce film into the Museum much more seriously, as well as at least one interactive element.
3. Inclusion: While the WEM has always told a very inclusive story, there has been a bit of a gap around the modern character of the West End. We are aiming to incorporate post-renewal stories into our narrative more seriously.
4. Bringing out the archives: We will be aiming to incorporate many more original and reproduction pieces into the displays, so they feel more unique and immersive. The Museum’s acquisition budget is also growing, so that we can ensure that the pieces on display are the best available ones.
5. An experience: A motivating factor in this new exhibit will be to make the WEM more experientially interesting. While content is always a priority, we want you to feel the West End story, especially the demolition, and the other massive alterations that have shaped the neighborhood.

CAMBRIDGE STREET SUPPORTERS

Julia Forbes
Andrew Matteis
James Bonaccorso

JOY STREET SUPPORTERS

David N Aurelio
Gene Kroner
Joseph McDonald
Jane Wilson
Mary Louise Burke
Michelle Desveaux
Virginia Caruso Bove
Skip Stearns
Timothy Eastman
Matthew Conti
Joseph Russo
Joseph Cancelleri
Janelle Smart Fisher
John Cucinotta
West End Place
Denton Crews
Bruce Guarino
Anne Van Nostrand
Lois Ascher

LEVERETT STREET SUPPORTERS

Henry Bain
Strada234 Condominium Trust
The Greatest Bar
Evelyn Berde
Jennifer Cartee
Susan Gilbert
Charles Honig
Kevin Murphy
Denise Penney
Rebecca Riordan
Michael Wyson

PINCKNEY STREET SUPPORTERS

Tom Burgess
Stephen F Ober Memorial Fund
Friends of the North End

RIDGEWAY LANE SUPPORTERS

Phillip Jones
Jonathan Aibel
Roslyn Diamond
Nancy Linday
Kathleen McPhee
Elizabeth Murray
Mary Cooney
Alexander von Hoffman
Maria Sidor
Carl Carlsen
Patricia Dick
William Millett
Alan Berkman
Joan Jacobs
Daniel Dain
Robert Malster
Meghan Backhouse
Christine Carney
Kathleen Clifford
Jean Farrell-Tai
Earl Greene
Carrie Johnson
Paul Kafasis
Mary Krajci
Carlene Lajoie
Dawn Lake
Pam LaRue
Jane Lewis
Margaret Liss
Patrick Malone
Dianne Masiello
Alison McRae
Betsy Munzer
Brenda Noe
Vanessa Parks
Victor Passacantilli
Theresa Raso
Dianne Royle
Richard Shibley
Nathan Weinberg
David Wizansky
Howard Woolf
Lynne Young
David Chosiad
Duane Lucia
Jane Papa
Rachel Silver
Gretchen Locke
William Kuttner
Kathleen Fitzgibbon
John Zinkowski
Arlene Andrew
Elaine Aquilino
Georgeanne Aquino
Thomas Damigella
Carolyn Faria
Wendy Gordon
Christopher Gorton
Doreen Hogle
Craig Kelley
Robin Keough
Marie Manupelli
Sheila Petruccelli
Nella Potenza
Anita Schoen
Herb Shifres
Sharon Slodki
Jaquie Sullivan
Louise Thomas
Dena Barisano
Jim Tabner
Francis Morello
Anonymous (x2)
Pam Borys
Julia Brooks
Leslie Brunetta
Suzanne Buchanan
Leah Dearborn
Katt Hernandez
Edwin Kaufman
Ronald Klodenski
George MacNeil
Christine Pimentel
Diana Sabella
Sarah Siedlar
Anne Smagorinsky
Mary Stone
Kathleen Thompson
Otis Wheeler
Anne Crissey
Jane Forrestall
Ellen Litt
Susan Smith
Valerie Quinones
Sebastian Aldo Desveaux Belfanti
Zack DeClerck