By Jill Yesko , University Relations
Contact: (336) 334-5371
Posted 7-18-07
Dr. Benjamin Filene
GREENSBORO, NC – Dr. Benjamin Filene, director of the public history program, has received an Award of Merit in Leadership in History from the American Association for State and Local History.
Filene earned the award, one of the most prestigious recognitions for achievement in the preservation and interpretation of state and local history, for “Open House: If These Walls Could Talk," which was exhibited at the Minnesota Historical Society last year.
The interactive exhibit brought to life the adage “if these walls could talk” by using a house on St. Paul’s Railroad Avenue neighborhood as a window into the daily lives of subsequent generations of German, Italian, African-American and Hmong immigrants who lived there.
In addition to the Award of Merit, Filene received a WOW award which is given to five percent or less of the total winners of the Award of Merit. WOW awards honor projects that are highly inspirational, exhibit exceptional scholarship or demonstrate entrepreneurial spirit in terms of funding, partnerships, collaborations or unusual project design and inclusiveness.
“The exhibition came to life because people were so generous with their stories,” said Filene. “Sometimes people would tell us they had nothing important to say, but then the memories would start flowing and we would hear such wonderful, revealing anecdotes. It demonstrates how everyone has a story to tell. That’s what history is all about.”
