User:Serbian Heritage Museum of Windsor/sandbox

The Serbian Heritage Museum of Windsor (SHM) exists for 25 years and is a repository of history of Serbian community in Windsor and the region as well as the steward of Serbian cultural heritage in Canada. SHM is very unique because it is the only museum of Serbian culture in Canada. Museum's life started as an initiative that Serbian Heritage Women Society gathered around in 1972 and later in 1975 the collection was initiated. Windsor Serbian community was numerous and responsive to this idea and within few years, the collection grew to have several important categories: photographs, textile, documents, audio and video recordings of prominent community elders.

On August 27. 1987 Serbian Community Centre was expanded to its present size on 6770 Tecumseh Rd E, Windsor/ON, and included the space for the Serbian Heritage Museum of Windsor where the collection was placed and exhibition space opened. IN 1992 SHM formed its own Museum Board which assumed governance until the present day. The Board of directors group was a cross section of the Serbian community and it allowed all notable Serbian organizations to be represented.

Funding of the museum largely depended from the support of the Serbian community and from the various grants from the Ontario or Canadian government.

FIRST BOARD MEMBERS

CHAIRPERSON: Helen Budimir-Hussey MEMBERS: Milorad Gacesa, Danica Chuk, Rade Drobac, Milan Jovetic, John Miloyevich, Blazo Radanovic, Milica Bozanic-Reeve

MISSION

The Serbian Heritage Museum of Windsor is a non-profit organization and is established with the purpose of collecting, preserving, researching, exhibiting and interpreting a collection of artifacts and archival material related to the Serbian history and culture.

The Museum is open to the public, and serves the people of Windsor and Essex County by imparting knowledge through multiple perspectives on Serbian culture, tradition, history, and customs. The Museum achieves this through its emphasis on exhibits, publications, research, and educational programs, including lectures, films, plays, and concerts, that highlight the richness of Serbian culture and ideas.

Serbian Heritage Museum of Windsor is the only such museum in Canada and is dedicated to upholding its mandate of multiculturalism in Canada by preserving, celebrating and promoting the experience and contribution of Serbian heritage in the lives and communities of Canadians.

The museum’s aim is to preserve the knowledge of Serbian immigrants to Ontario and Canada, and to promote the great contribution made by Serbs to Canada’s industrial, cultural, social and intellectual life. The Serbian Heritage Museum is a focus of local, national and international collaboration in programs and research that are accessible to individuals and organizations.

COLLECTION

The Serbian Heritage Museum’s aim is to interpret, researches and displays its collection to the public through poignant exhibits that showcase Serbian historical and cultural heritage. The Museum has had a particular focus on gathering research material and artifacts from the early Serbian settlers into Windsor and the surrounding region. This collection of artifacts and documents tell the story of early immigration of Serbs into the area, their settlement and adaptation into Canadian culture, their social, political, athletic and cultural contributions to Serbian and Canadian societies through a vast variety of expressions. Serbian culture and history are depicted through several collections of the Serbian Heritage Museum, for example: painting, rare books and newspapers, photographs, costumes and textiles, and three dimensional objects such as, musical instruments. The Museum currently has over 10,000 artifacts in its archives and is constantly adding to its collection.

The SHM Collection contains the following artifacts:

ARCHIVES

Architectural Records • Prints and Drawings • Microforms • Films and Videos • Sound Recordings • Textual Records • Telegrams • Personal correspondence • Athletic and cultural societies’ meeting minutes • Magazines • Oral history

PAINTINGS AND PRINTS

The SHM has a collection of over 175 paintings and prints that depict Serbian cultural heritage through historical scenes, landscapes, cityscapes and portraits on a variety of materials.

COSTUMES AND TEXTILES

Folk costumes from varied regions of Serbia • tapestries • household and decorative items • theatre costumes • military uniforms • traditional Serbian shoes

BOOKS AND NEWSPAPERS

Rare books • Newspapers • Women’s magazines • Agricultural and literary Journals

PHOTOGRAPHS

Social events and festivals • Serbian public figures • family portraits of first Serbian settlers • Serbian owned businesses • religious festivals • cultural and athletic societies

MUSIC AND INSTRUMENTS

Music notes from singing societies • traditional instruments (gayde and gusle) • Serbian music records and audio cassettes

3D OBJECTS

Jewelry • Medals • Coins • Pins • decorative wood objects • religious ritual objects • personal and household items • stamps

EXHIBITS

Serbian heritage Museum of Windsor has had a very active exhibiting life. In the past 25 years of its existence it produced individually or in collaboration with other heritage organizations more than 90 exhibits. Their themes centered mostly on different aspects of Serbian culture, but have also followed very important community anniversaries, holidays, festivals, and socio-political issues.

CULTURAL PROGRAM Museum events and programs fulfilled the need for  cultural life and  Serbian heritage: the production of  play,  symphonic concert, nights of entertainment with old music and the feast of good dinning were all part of Museum dynamics. Presently, SHM provides community outreach events during the major multicultural festivals in Windsor/ ON.

EDUCATION Serbian Heritage Museum of Windsor is continuing the tradition of its Education Program for children by offering workshops on: •	Newspaper making •	Serbian Orthodox Christmas craft making •	Easter Eggs decorating •	Cooking classes •	Serbian Cyrillic Calligraphy •	Arts

These workshops encompass other topics which are offered based on interest and depending on the current exhibit on display. Children of ages 7 – 16 are invited to participate. Local primary and secondary schools in Windsor are invited to schedule a tour of the current exhibit and a visit to one of our workshops.

LECTURES

Serbian heritage Museum has a rich history of very interesting and sometimes thought provoking lectures that have usually accompanied either an exhibit or a significant event in Serbian community of Windsor or an important date in Serbian history. Film screenings of current documentaries and motion pictures made by Serbian directors were organized for the public. Guest speakers poets such as Matija Beckovic were holding a literary evenings etc. Upcoming lectures in the on-line format will be offered to the wide audience via museum’s new website at various times throughout the 2013/ 2014.

CURRENT PROJECTS

Serbian Heritage Museum is currently undergoing an ambitious and very important project of collection digitization. With the receipt of funding from the Ontario Government, SHM is able to use these funds to digitize a portion of its collection focused on books, anniversary books, journals, manuscripts, archival documents, newspapers, newsletters, brochures, meeting minutes that were written and published by local Serbian writers, cultural organizations and newspapers for the past 40 years. The project’s duration is 12 months and will allow greater accessibility to this part of its collection to very wide readership globally. The project will end in March 2014 and SHM will be able to preserve a great part of its local history, written heritage and increase its participation and visibility in the museum community and academic and cultural sector on a global level.

FUTURE PROJECTS

Serbian Heritage Museum is in the planning stages of the projects for 2014, and one of them will be the commemoration of the 100 year anniversary from the beginning for the WWI.

VISITORS

LOCATION

The Serbian Heritage Museum is located inside the Serbian Community Centre, 6770 Tecumseh Road East, Windsor Ontario Canada

MUSEUM HOURS

Monday – Friday: 9:00 am to 5:00 pm Weekends: By appointment only.

GUIDED TOURS

Guided tour of the Museum and special exhibits are available free of charge by reservation only to parties of five or more. If you are interested in requesting a private tour please contact us to set up an appointment.

LINKS

Gracanica Serbian Orthodox Church Serbian Centre