In Holyoke, there is no shortage of century-old buildings sporting architecture and details only 19th-century mill barons could afford.
The Wistariahurst Museum is one of them. This week, the site will host a Civic Learning Week, taking part in a nationwide campaign to bolster engagement in local government – and the history that informs it.
Established in 1874, the multi-story, Second Empire-style Wistariahurst takes up a whole block of Cabot Street, what with its over two dozen rooms. The mansion once served as a home to the Skinner family, owners of what used to be the area’s booming silk and fabric mills.
The structure would become a museum in the early 20th century – a mission that continued after its donation to the city in 1959.
“Wistariahurst’s mission is to support art history and culture in the city of Holyoke and the surrounding communities, and that includes… exhibits, performances, history talks, civic talks…” says Megan Seiler, the museum’s director. “I mean, we're here to support Holyokers, we're here to support surrounding communities and try to bolster the arts, history and culture going on in this region.”
This week, the museum will take that mission a step further, promoting what it means to take part in a democracy and how to go about it - not just in Holyoke, but more broadly.
That’s the goal of “Civic Learning Week,” an initiative launched by the non-partisan, non-profit iCivics. Across the country, the week entails events that range from forums focused on “urgent conversations about democracy” to sitdowns with the likes of Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor and others.
In Holyoke, it means a local performance, artwork exploring liberty and labor and conversations with local leaders. When asked why get the museum involved in the campaign, Seiler says it was an opportunity to both teach civics and observe the nation’s Bisesquicentennial.
“… understanding how government works, how you can get involved, what impact you can have on local government, and just trying to help educate people [as to] what services are available,” she says. “… what are your options if you are unhappy with something? Or what can you do to make sure that government’s functioning the way that you think it should?”
The week’s events are already off and running. Monday morning featured a ceremony devoted to Holyoke educators – figures who organizers say lead and make a difference, especially amid the school district’s exit from receivership last year.
There’s also a “Liberty and Labor” gallery that officially launches Tuesday, says Wistariahurst’s Emily Munsell, made up of women and nonbinary local artists, with many pieces tapping into the city’s textile history.
“Every artist has done a piece that goes with the theme of women's labor,” she says. “That's anything from [a] beautifully collaged and embroidered piece to an assemblage piece of items that speak to what it's like to grow up as a woman and work as one.”
There's also a special lecture slated for Thursday, featuring Holyoke City Council President Tessa Murphy Romboletti. The council president says while this particular Civics Learning Week campaign is Holyoke-focused, the importance of getting involved in one’s local government and being active in any democracy is universal.
“It’s really important that people be involved in local government, no matter what. I thought it would be great to walk people through what you can expect when you're running for office, what are the things that you learn when you are in office, and just breaking some of the myths that might exist around getting involved in local government,” the council president tells WAMC. “This talk will include resources where folks can get more engaged and just local opportunities to join boards, commissions, help volunteer.”
Also on the docket for Sunday: a special performance devoted to the story of Elizabeth “MumBet” Freeman, the first enslaved African American to file and win a freedom suit in Massachusetts.
Seiler says all of the programming is happening in a space that’s seen its purpose go from a wealthy family’s residence to a place devoted to serving the people surrounding it.
“[In the 18th-century] you wouldn't have lived here, statistically speaking, so [we] honor everyone's history here in Holyoke,” she says. “That's why we programmed around the Skinner Coffee House, we have a tenement room set up so we can talk about that the people who helped build the wealth for this family… it's always great that we can democratize these spaces, but also remind [the public] that there's so much dignity in how everyone else lived as well.”
More information can be found here.
