The 21st Show

New exhibit recounts the horrors of the Holocaust through art

 
“The Auschwitz Experience in the Art of Prisoners” exhibit at the Vermillion County Museum

“The Auschwitz Experience in the Art of Prisoners” exhibit at the Vermillion County Museum Brian Mackey/Illinois Public Media

Beginning this weekend, visitors to the Vermilion County Museum can experience an exhibit on art that tells a much broader story than that of Danville and its people. It’s called “The Auschwitz Experience In the Art of Prisoners.” It has two dozen poster-panels featuring images of dozens of drawings and paintings made by artists who survived the notorious Nazi concentration camp. The original artwork is at the Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum in Poland, which loaned images to the Illinois event sponsor: the Holocaust Education Center of the Champaign-Urbana Jewish Federation.

The exhibit formally opens with a presentation this Sunday afternoon and runs though the end of March. Later this spring it’ll make stops at a few other central Illinois locations. Our host, Brian Mackey, visited the museum to speak with the exhibit's organizers. 

GUESTS: 

Brian Kahn

Retired teacher, Urbana schools | Retired education professor, University of Illinois Springfield

Bob Lehmann

Social Studies teacher, Westville High School | Past fellowship from the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum | Ph.D. student in Holocaust and Genocide studies

 

 

Prepared for web by Owen Henderson

Help shape our coverage on The 21st by joining our texting group and answering weekly questions. To join, text “TALK” to 217-803-0730 or sign up with your phone number below: