The Birmingham Holocaust Education Center is proud to be able to loan Darkness into Life: Alabama Holocaust Survivors Through Photography and Art to your school, community or museum. This unique educational exhibit features the stories of 20 Alabama Holocaust survivors. It teaches the history of the Holocaust and offers a rich understanding of its impact on these individuals and their families.
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by Becky Seitel, photographer, 2009
In early 2005, my husband Alan and I were looking for a community project that would share our common interests. Alan is Jewish, I am Christian, and before we married, we committed to being supportive of each other's religion. But since we didn't worship together, we felt a desire to do something as a couple that would allow us to share a mutually-rewarding experience outside traditional spiritual settings.
I had recently re-discovered photography, so right away we had our method, but we talked for months about the message. We discussed current issues: breast cancer, AIDS, homelessness, and organ donation since Alan's son had recently undergone a successful liver transplant. But when we attended a local Holocaust Memorial Service and heard the first-hand accounts of the Holocaust, our message became clear. I had never met a Holocaust survivor, and had certainly never heard a first-hand account of that horrible time in history. I realized our grandchildren would be unlikely to hear these personal stories since many survivors were now in their 80's and 90's. As we walked to the car in stunned silence, I looked at Alan and said, "I think we found our project."
Additional weeks of discussion followed. Alan felt that we had to do something different from other Holocaust exhibits. We talked about the photographs we would shoot, how many (perhaps ten, we thought), where we would exhibit, but we knew there was something missing in our plan. During this time, we attended an art exhibit by Mitzi J. Levin. Mitzi, too, is Christian, and married to a Jewish husband. We had discovered the missing piece. We invited Mitzi to join us and paint the memories of the survivors: their childhood, imprisonment or hiding, and liberation. My photographs would capture them in the present and the result would be the stories of the lives of Birmingham's Holocaust survivors - how they prevented Hitler from winning by living happy, successful lives, how they travelled from Darkness into Life.
Our initial exhibit at Birmingham's Levite Jewish Community Center on April 1, 2007, drew 1,700 people on opening day. Staff members from the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute visited the exhibit and invited us to show at the Institute. They also asked us to expand the exhibit to include all of Alabama.
The idea of ten photographs grew into a 78-piece exhibit featuring the stories of 20 Holocaust survivors from throughout Alabama. Created to educate, the exhibit has been donated to the Birmingham Holocaust Education Center to help teach students about the Holocaust, genocide, and bigotry. And most importantly, to join together and say "Never Again!"
Exhibit Manual
Detailed manual that borrower receives prior to receiving the exhibit.
Contains how to hang the exhibit, prepare publicity, educational materials, etc.
Survivor Biographies (19)
Survivor Artwork (78 photos and paintings)
Narratives (61)
Describes the picture, but also weaves in historical facts.
Maps (2)
• Countries with Survivors
• Cities / Ghettos / Camps
Descriptive Boards (3)
• Exhibit Title Board
• Memorial Board
• Acknowledgement Board
Introductory Video
This 8-1/2 minute video is intended as a visitor introduction to the Exhibit.
Darkness into Life DVD
Features the survivors and artists talking about their experience and their artwork.
This 55-minute video loop can be run continuously during the exhibit.
CD of Reproducible Materials
Includes sample press releases, images for publicity, Exhibit Brochures to reproduce
for visitors, and educational materials.
Exhibit Space
• The full Exhibit requires approximately 2,200 square feet of gallery space.
Alternative display space such as free-standing peg-boards may be considered.
• Hosts may choose to request only a portion of the Exhibit.
We are willing to work with those not able to handle the entire Exhibit.
• An audio-visual space for the Darkness into Life video is also recommended.
Exhibit Period
• Booking are recommended for a 2 month minimum.
• A minimum of 2 weeks is required between bookings.
Exhibit Fees
| • Schools / School Systems within the state of Alabama | FREE | |
| • Cultural Institutions / Museums within the state of Alabama | FREE | |
| • Schools outside the state of Alabama | FREE | |
| • Cultural Institutions / Museums outside the state of Alabama | $2,500 | |
| Shipping Fees (round trip unless otherwise indicated) | ||
| • Schools / School Systems within the state of Alabama | FREE | |
| • Cultural Institutions / Museums within the state of Alabama | Paid by Host | |
| • Schools outside the state of Alabama | Paid by Host | |
| • Cultural Institutions / Museums outside the state of Alabama | Paid by Host | |
| Conditions of Use | ||
• No Entry Fees, above and beyond those of the host institution, may be charged for
this Exhibit.
• All objects in the Exhibit must be displayed in accordance with the guidelines provided.
Educational / Public Programming
• All Hosts are required to open this Exhibit to the public and encourage group tours.
The Exhibit was designed for education. Hosts are expected to further this goal.
The BHEC will be happy to consult on these programs.
• Hosts are expected to provide free Exhibit Brochures for all visitors. Prototypes
will be provided by the BHEC.
• Hosts are expected to provide educational materials to teachers. Some materials
will be provided by the BHEC. Additional resources can be found on the BHEC
website.
• Hosts are encouraged to offer accompanying public programs / events during the
Exhibit period. This includes opening receptions, lectures, tours, or other
educational programs.
Security / Facilities
Host is responsible for insuring the safety of the Exhibit. Exhibit must be able
to be locked up after each day's closing.
Installation / Care
Host is responsible for installation and de-installation of the Exhibit.
Shipping / Condition Reports
• Shipping will be arranged by the BHEC with an approved shipping company.
• The Exhibit will arrive in wooden crates. Host is responsible for storage of these
crates for the duration of the Exhibit.
• Host is responsible for completing condition reports upon unpacking and re-packing
the Exhibit.
Damages
Damages incurred while in possession of the host will be the responsibility of the
host.
Publicity
• Host is required to promote the Exhibit to the entire community.
• The BHEC must be properly credited on all publicity materials.
• The BHEC will provide a sample press release and Exhibit photos/copy to aid
in this process.
Documentation / Assessment Reports
• Installation Photographs & Publicity:
Host is responsible for photographing the completely installed Exhibit as
well as compiling all press and publicity (print and electronic) associated
with the Exhibit.
• Associated Programming:
Hosts are required to provide the BHEC with detailed information regarding
Exhibit-related programming such as opening receptions, lectures, tours,
and educational programs.
• Community Involvement Assessment:
Hosts are required to provide the BHEC with detailed information regarding
visitation statistics.
BHEC Support
The BHEC is happy to assist host venues in their presentation of this Exhibit.
April / May 2007
Levite Jewish Community Center / Birmingham, AL
June / July 2007
Temple Beth-El / Birmingham, AL
July 2007
Samford University SSITE Teacher Workshop / Birmingham, AL
October 2007
Childersburg High School / Childersburg, AL
January / February 2008
Cullman Middle School / Cullman, AL
March / April 2008
Alabama State Capitol / Montgomery, AL
September / October 2008
Birmingham Civil Rights Institute / Birmingham, AL
December 2008 / January 2009
Mobile Museum of Art / Mobile, AL
March / April 2009
Mary G. Hardin Center for Cultural Arts / Gadsden, AL
January / February 2010
Albert P. Brewer High School / Somerville, AL
March / April 2010
Anniston Public Library / Anniston, AL
September / October 2010
Wallace State Community College / Hanceville, AL
October / December 2010
Parnell Memorial Library / Montevallo, AL
December 2010 / February 2011
Lewis Cooper, Jr. Memorial Library / Opelika, AL
March / April 2011
Birmingham Public Library / Birmingham, AL
September / October 2011
Hoover High School / Birmingham, AL
Florence-Lauderdale Public Library / Florence, AL
January / February 2012
Phillips High School / Bear Creek, AL
February 2012
Birmingham Southern College / Birmingham, AL
March / June 2012
Huntsville Museum of Art / Huntsville, AL
October / November 2012
Troy University / Montgomery Campus / Montgomery, AL
January / February 2013
Troy University / Troy Campus / Troy, AL
March / April 2013
Troy University / Dothan Campus / Dothan, AL
Page last updated: February 29, 2012