Quicktime panoramic view of the show. (To activate, put your cursor in the picture, click, hold the click then drag to the left or right.)

Returned Peace Corps Volunteers Share Their World: The Exhibition

As an invited participant in the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) "Expressions of Diversity Conference," Rochester RPCVs presented a view into the lives of people from around the world through an exhibition of artifacts that highlighted not only their diversity of cultures but also the incredible richness of the lives the people live.

Seventeen members of Rochester RPCVs loaned more than 100 items from 19 Peace Corps countries for the exhibit. Items included clothing, household goods, ceremonial objects, decorative pieces, and tools. The countries represented were Benin, Bolivia, Ecuador, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Iran, Jamaica, Kenya, Lithuania, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Panama, Paraguay, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Tanzania, Thailand, Turkey and Uzbekistan.

The Exhibition was presented in the two-room Ohringer Gallery of the Dyer Arts Center at the National Technical Institute for the Deaf, one of the colleges of RIT, and was on view from March 23rd to April 13th. (These dates include a extension of one week based on the popularity of the exhibit.)

The Exhibition was curated and installed by Marian Haley Beil who prepared an exhibit card (see attached) for each item based on information provided by the lender. In an effort to make the exhibition as educational as possible, each card included:

• a world map indicating the location of the country of origin of the artifact,
• the name of the item in the indigenous language (if known) and the name of the language,
• the English name for the item,
• the country of origin,
• a detailed description that include such information as how the item was used, how it was produced, and materials used in its production.
• the lender.

Each of the exhibit cards was displayed next to the item. Some items were accompanied by photographs taken in-country illustrating its use or production.

Promotional materials, and current and historical information about the Peace Corps were also displayed.

In conjunction with the opening of the Exhibition, four Rochester RPCVs presented a well-attended, hour-long panel on the Peace Corps experience at the Expressions of Diversity Conference. Panelists were: Glenn Cerosaletti (Bolivia 1994–96), Carl Christensen (Jamaica 1969–71) and Meredith Dalton (Ghana 1998–2000). Marian Haley Beil (Ethiopia 1962–64) was the moderator.

Rochester RPCVs were available at a reception in the gallery to talk with people about the items as well as their Peace Corps service. Thanks go to Linda Vera (Paraguay 1981-84) organized the reception.