NYCMER
COME TOGETHER
OCTOBER 10th 4:30- 6:00
Cathedral of St. John the Divine
Dear Colleagues,
The events of September 11th have left our city and indeed the country in a
state of shock. Even now it is an act of will to get through a "normal" day.
Many institutions, including my own, experienced closure, power and
utilities outages, and a loss of visitation. Perhaps you or a coworker has
experienced the loss of a family member or friend. For myself, I'm not sure
if I'll be having a normal day for quite a while.
My fellow steering committee members and I put a hold on having a "meet and
greet" session in September in order to give people a chance to at least
begin the process of dealing and healing. As I've walked around the city
these last couple of weeks, I have been most struck by the spontaneous
shrines that have sprung up all over. Artwork and poems are everywhere
expressing thoughts, grief and a desire for peace. Endless volunteers gave
blood, cleared rubble, and donated skills. Vigils, marches and other
gatherings are attended by thousands of people who need to feel as if they
are doing something for their city and themselves. A friend of mine works at
a school for Chinese medicine and they are volunteering their skills to
treat the sore muscles of the rescue volunteers, as well as offering free
acupuncture to anybody experiencing anxiety or shock. This is the skill they
had to offer. At the Lower East Side Tenement Museum we feel our
contribution will be to educate against eruptions of racial bias. I know
several museums opened the doors of their institutions at no cost to
visitors. What else are or can we as a community of Educators, of Museum
Professionals do to help our city? How can we even bring ourselves to deal
with the practical matters left to us in the aftermath of all that death and
destruction?
Please join us for the first NYCMER gathering of the year on OCTOBER 10th
from 4:30- 6:00 at the Peace Garden of the Cathedral of St John the Divine
(it is around the large statue to the right of the Cathedral). Share your
ideas and examples for what institutions and NYCMER can do to help the city
heal and stay strong. Bring a candle or a flower, a drawing or a poem. Most
of all, re-connect with your peers as we begin a new NYCMER year. I know I
shall be happy to see all of your faces.
Lynda Kennedy
Chair
The Cathedral is located at 112th Street and Amsterdam Avenue, one block
east of Broadway. By subway, take the 1 or 9 train to the 110th Street /
Cathedral Parkway station. By bus take the 4 or 104 to Broadway and 112th
Street or the 11 to Amsterdam Avenue and 112th Street.
If you need to renew your membership, there will be the opportunity to do
so.
(NOTE: If it is raining- we will convene inside the Cathedral itself at the
"Earth Bay". Tell the Cathedral Staff inside the main doors that you are
with NYCMER.)
Lynda Kennedy
Education Coordinator
Lower East Side Tenement Museum
212-431-0233 x223
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