The Exhibition Alliance and The Community Consortium, an organization of people with psychiatric histories and their allies, are pleased to offer a newly created traveling exhibit ³The Lives They Left Behind: Suitcases from a State Hospital Attic.² This exhibit is available to book now. TEA has received dramatic levels of interest in the exhibit from community and advocacy groups, and is seeking museums and galleries interested in this wonderful opportunity to create museum/community partnerships utilizing this compelling history exhibit. In 1995, during the closure of the Willard Psychiatric Center in New York¹s Finger Lakes region, several hundred suitcases filled with the personal belongings of former patients were discovered. The suitcases and their contents bear witness to the rich, complex lives these people led before they were committed to Willard and speak to their aspirations, accomplishments, and community connections, as well as to loss and isolation. From the clothing and personal objects left behind, we can gain some understanding of who these people were before they disappeared behind hospital walls. The pictures and stories illustrate the ordinary lives these people led: they raised families, had jobs, were educated and traveled, fell in love, and faced misfortune. For many, dealing with hardships sealed their fate to a lifetime in a mental hospital. ³The Lives They Left Behind² was created to honor the memories of these people and others like them who were removed from their communities and institutionalized. This exhibit provides insight into psychiatric institutions in the early-mid 20th century, and also raises some difficult and compelling questions. For more information about the exhibit, please visit the TEA website at www.exhibitionalliance.org <http://www.exhibitionalliance.org/> and click on the ³Traveling Exhibitions² heading to download an informational packet. To reserve exhibition dates or for more specific information about the exhibit, call (315) 824-2510 ext. 224 or send an email Jo Halstead at [log in to unmask] ========================================================= Important Subscriber Information: The Museum-L FAQ file is located at http://www.finalchapter.com/museum-l-faq/ . You may obtain detailed information about the listserv commands by sending a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "help" (without the quotes). If you decide to leave Museum-L, please send a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "Signoff Museum-L" (without the quotes).