Stitching History From the Holocaust
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UW Nancy Nicholas Hall-Ruth Davis Design Gallery 1300 Linden Dr., Madison, Wisconsin 53706
press release: Paul and Hedy Strnad are trapped as the Nazis close in. Can Hedy’s dress designs and their cousin in Milwaukee help them get to the United States? All efforts failed. Hedy and Paul perished in the Holocaust, but their memory lives on in a letter and sketches, which form the core of this haunting exhibit.
The Milwaukee Repertory Theater’s costume shop meticulously created with historic accuracy the eight dresses and accessories from the original sketches by using period styles and techniques. The museum staff has collected years of research to give visitors a closer look into the lives of this couple — a story that represents one of the millions of lives extinguished by the Holocaust and the immeasurable loss of talent and creativity.
The Ruth Davis Design Gallery is also pleased to feature a separate exhibition of garments created by UW-Madison fashion design students who looked to Hedy’s legacy for a modern twist on late 1930s – 1940s styles.
Experience Hedy’s designs brought to life from Sept. 11, 2016 – Nov. 13, 2016 at the Ruth Davis Design Gallery, School of Human Ecology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1300 Linden Drive, Madison, Wisconsin.
Ruth Davis Design Gallery events are free and open to the public. Hours: Monday - Thursday, 9 am - 4 pm, Sunday, Noon - 4 pm
SPECIAL PROGRAMS
Thursday, Oct. 20, 2016: Panel presentation: "Stitching History in Czechoslovakia: A Survivor’s and a Historian’s Perspective" co-sponsored by Center for Jewish Studies
7 p.m. - 8 p.m, Nancy Nicholas Hall, Nancy Nicholas Hall, Room 1199
- Simone Schweber, Goodman Professor of Education and Jewish Studies and Director, Center for Jewish Studies will chair the panel.
- Amos Bitzan, Frances and Laurence Weinstein Assistant Professor of History.
- Renata Lexova, Professor Emerita of Genetics at the Departments of Pediatrics and Medical Genetics, Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin–Madison
Sunday, Nov. 6, 2016: Afternoon with Friends, 1-4 p.m., Nancy Nicholas Hall, Room TBD
Featuring Mary Lou Roberts, WARF Distinguished Lucie Aubrac Professor and Plaenert Bascom Professor of History, speaking on Stitching Wartime History: The Case of the French Resistance. Following the lecture, UW Madison design studies students will be on hand to talk about their design process and dresses featured in the companion exhibition “Inspired by Hedy.”
About the Jewish Museum Milwaukee: The Jewish Museum Milwaukee is dedicated to preserving and presenting the history of the Jewish people in southeastern Wisconsin and celebrating the continuum of Jewish heritage and culture. The history of American Jews is rooted in thousands of years of searching for freedom and equality. We are committed to sharing this story and the life lessons it brings with it, so that we may enhance the public’s awareness and appreciation of Jewish life and culture.
About the Milwaukee Jewish Federation: For more than 100 years, the Milwaukee Jewish Federation has been dedicated to building a strong Jewish community. We distributed $20 million last year to Jewish and non-Jewish organizations locally and around the world, and manage philanthropy through our $150 million Jewish Community Foundation.
The exhibition is supported by the UW-Madison Anonymous Fund, Friends of the UW-Madison School of Human Ecology, the Jewish Federation Madison, the Geroge L. Mosse/ Laurence A. Weinstein Center for Jewish Studies and Fran Weinstein.