The Milwaukee County Historical Society will open its first official exhibition since its restoration was completed last year. “Faith Family Festa” will highlight the lives of Milwaukee’s Italian immigrants beginning with their voyage to settlement in Milwaukee.
“There are many different aspects of Italian life featured in this exhibit,” said Amanda Wynne, assistant curator of the Research Library at the Historical Society.
According to Wynne, the exhibit highlights the immigrants’ trip across the sea as well as many different aspects of Italian life in Milwaukee including social groups, religious activities, recreation and their day to day professional lives.
“The Italian Community Center and other members of the Italian community have supported this project from the very beginning,” Wynne said.
The Italian Community Center served as the leading sponsor for the exhibit. Other sponsors include: Mario Carini, Sam and Lucille Purpero, Margaret Carini, Glorioso’s Italian Market, Spano Pratt Executive Search, Rose Purpero Spang, Betty Puccio and the Milwaukee Ladies of UNICO. The exhibit is located on the second floor of the Milwaukee County Historical Society and is the first large exhibit since the restoration of the building started five years ago, Wynne said.
“We’re hoping this exhibit will help the Milwaukee community realize what a great asset we have in this museum,” she said.
The Historical Society hopes to expand traffic to the museum through this exhibit and through the research library, Wynne said.
“So many people have told us their stories,” she said. “Those stories played a vital part in putting this all together. We hope that through this exhibit we are really going to give the Italian community a great sense of what they’ve meant to Milwaukee as a whole.”
To learn more about the exhibit click on the video link below.
