State of Affairs: Reopening & FundingBy Sue Minichiello With an eye on the future, Museum Director Sebastian Belfanti began working on a detailed reopening plan in April and received board approval of the plan in early May. Also in April, to help offset revenue losses under the mandated closure, Belfanti proactively launched the West End Museum…
Museum Perseveres Despite Mandated ClosurePrepared by Sue Minichiello Being closed under COVID-19 restrictions has been challenging for The West End Museum, as it has for many nonprofit institutions, particularly smaller ones that depend on foot traffic and visitor donations. Even so, the future looks bright for “Boston’s Neighborhood Museum.” It has a number of vital…
Meet the New Board Members: Andy Matteis & Amanda ValentaBy Hayley Domin Even under mandatory closure, the work of the Museum never stopped, including assembling its current Board of Directors. This year, two new members joined the ranks: Andy Matteis and Amanda Valenta. Each of them brings a passion for nonprofits and professional backgrounds that…
West End Museum Perseveres Despite Mandated Closure; Readies for ReopeningBeacon Hill Times This period of closure under COVID-19 restrictions has been challenging for The West End Museum, as it has for many nonprofit institutions, particularly smaller ones that depend on visitor donations. Even so, the future looks bright for “Boston’s Neighborhood Museum.” It has a number…
New Exhibit Explores Eva Whiting White, the EPH, and Life in a West End Settlement House in Partnership with Simmons University This week the West End Museum is excited to announce a new exhibit designed by students at Simmons University in partnership with the Boston City Archives. The exhibit, Learned from Our Neighbors: Stories from The…
Black Lives Matter – An Important Message from Museum Director Sebastian BelfantiBy Sebastian Belfanti After months of social distance and loss, the past month has been particularly difficult. We have been forced to reflect on the painful history of racism and segregation that led to George Floyd’s death, among many others. We at the Museum…
West End Museum Honors Two Former Neighborhood Residents for Jewish American Heritage MonthBeacon Hill Times In acknowledgment of May as Jewish American Heritage Month, the West End Museum honored two exceptional former residents of the neigborhood. Born on May 30, 1920, in Boston, Manuel “Manny” Brown, now 100 years old, was a World War II…
Jewish Heritage Month Honorees The West End Museum is honoring two exceptional West Enders this month: Manny Brown and Annie Londonderry. Manny, who celebrates his 100th birthday quite soon, is a neighborhood treasure, who didn’t just live through urban renewal, but also landed on the Utah beachhead in Normandy 76 years ago on D-Day. He…
Hyman Siegal, 90, taught young Leonard Nimoy to develop filmJewish Telegraphic Agency BOSTON (JTA) – As a teenager growing up in the West End of Boston in the early 1940s, Hyman Siegal was a regular at the West End House, a philanthropic club that offered programming for the sons of immigrants and a place to…
Keating Wheel Company – Our StoryBy Nick Keating, www.keatingwheelcompany.com I was incredibly excited to receive an invitation to contribute towards The West End Museum’s bicycling exhibit, both in providing a historic Keating bicycle, and in discussing my role in modern-day Boston cycling. Looking back on our two-wheeled past – particularly in urban areas like Boston…