Beyond the Picket Fence Exhibit Opening Reception

73 South College Street,Akron OH 44325

03 February, 2023

Description

“Home” is something we all know the meaning of – until we try to put it into words. Is home your house, your town, or your community? Is it defined by a physical location, by a feeling, or by the people around you? Can a person find a sense of home in the face of displacement, incarceration, institutionalization, or disaster? Can someone be unhoused, and still have a place they call home? Beyond the Picket Fence: The Places & Spaces We Call Home explores the concept of home in all its definitions and asks us to consider the variety of elements that let us know when we have found home. From Lillian Gilbreth’s analysis of what makes a home efficient to David Boder’s interviews with people displaced from their homes, the exhibit brings together artifacts from the collections of the Archives of the History of American Psychology and the Institute for Human Science and Culture. Beyond the Picket Fence was researched and curated by volunteer intern, Kellyn Toombs. Beyond the Picket Fence joins two additional exhibits as part of the Cummings Center’s exploration of the many meanings of “home." All three will be on-view at our free opening reception. Home is… brings together a collection of community-loaned objects and stories that each present a unique interpretation of home. The design and installation of the exhibit was completed by Museums & Archives Studies Certificate Program student, Lacy Nicholas.HOME is a special guest installation documenting the Akron-based HOME project, led by Josy Jones of the Chameleon Village Theatre Collective. The project has spent three years exploring the question of whether theatre can serve as a bridge between available community resources and the residents of the West Hill neighborhood in Akron. Health & SafetyVisit our health and safety page for up-to-date information on the Cummings Center's safety protocols: https://uakron.edu/chp/museum/covid-19-precautions Please stay home if you do not feel well, have been diagnosed with COVID-19, or had direct contact with an individual diagnosed with or suspected to have COVID-19. AccessibilityA wheelchair accessible ramp is located on the northeast side of the building, near the main entrance. The exhibit will be open in the National Museum of Psychology, on the building's first floor. The exhibit is mobility accessible. Additional exhibits, including HOME and Home Is... are on display on the 4th floor, accessible via an interior elevator. A wheelchair is available to loan for those visiting. Please contact us ahead of time with any accessibility requirements so we can work together to make your visit comfortable. For more information, see our accessibility page: https://uakron.edu/chp/about-us/accessibility. LocationThe exhibit will be open in the National Museum of Psychology, located on the 1st floor of the Cummings Center for the History of Psychology. The street address is 73 S. College Street Akron, Ohio 44325-4302 (on the corner of Mill and College Streets). ParkingA small parking lot is adjacent to the Cummings Center, on College St. There are also parking meters located along College St. or visitor parking available in Lot 30 (corner of College and Market streets). UA staff, faculty, and student parking is available in Lot 40, off Mill St. TransitLocal bus service is provided by Akron Metro. Stops closest to the Cummings Center are at Mill & College; E. Market & College; and Main & E. Bowery St. Further route details are available from Akron Metro. For University of Akron students, faculty, and staff, the Roo Express stops at the nearby College St. Circle and at Fir Hill Towers. About the Cummings CenterThe Drs. Nicholas & Dorothy Cummings Center for the History of Psychology (CCHP) cares for, provides access to, and interprets the historical record of psychology and related human sciences. The Center is the home to the Archives of the History of American Psychology (AHAP) and the National Museum of Psychology (NMP), as well as the interdisciplinary Institute for Human Science and Culture (IHSC). Visit https://uakron.edu/chp/