New collection of artwork will be used for student and community learning News Keene State College
Soon, Keene State students, campus visitors and the community at large will have access to yet another collection of art that will inspire and educate. Amy Fagin, Massachusetts-based visual artist and author of Beyond the genocide, specializes in the traditional art form of manuscript illumination, which brings historical events to life through art. She donates her art collection to the Keene State Department of Holocaust and Genocide Studies to provide the community with additional perspectives on global incidents of genocide and mass violence from the past, and to provoke more dialogue about these ongoing issues in today’s world. The public is invited to an opening night of the collection at Mason Library room 142 on November 22 at 2 p.m. where Amy will be speaking.
Amy’s involvement with Keene State began in 2016 when she attended the first Summer Institute on Genocide Studies and Prevention. The Biennial Institute, hosted by the Department of Holocaust and Genocide Studies, is a week-long program that brings educators from around the world to the Keene State campus to learn new ways of educate their communities about the Holocaust and the genocide, with the aim of preventing future violence through knowledge.
“I have been a long-time student of artistic expression as a vital form of human communication, which shapes the cultural identity of groups throughout history, and is often a key target for genocidal campaigns,” said Amy. “What strikes me about Keene State College’s program in Holocaust and Genocide Studies is the impeccable integrity and collegiality of faculty, staff and students. The vision for the program is one that I hope many colleges and universities across the country and abroad can adopt for their own communities. Incorporating the arts as an essential part of this discussion is an imperative that Keene State has fully embraced, and I am honored to help facilitate this development. “
The collection will be used by professors in the Holocaust and Genocide Studies program to teach students in their classes, including Art and the Holocaust. Available to the public on the second floor of the Mason Library, in the new wing housing the Department of Holocaust and Genocide Studies, the hope is that students and community members can view the collection and share their thoughts. with the others.
“Art is an essential part of fully understanding a culture, its destruction or survival, and how we got to where we are today. I am grateful for Amy’s contribution and look forward to incorporating her work into the studies of our students, ”said Jim Waller, professor of Holocaust and Genocide Studies at Keene State Cohen.
“I hope that this artistic treasure contribution will inspire future generations of students to expand their studies at Keene State College in cultural expression and genocide prevention. I am grateful that the college accepted this wonderful gift and gave it a home and a family, ”said Amy.