“It’s important to me that I create the type of representation I want to see.” –Zoe Alphonse
Zoe Alphonse is a 16-year-old filmmaker from Chicago whose family also has a residence on the Vineyard. It has afforded her the opportunity to work at Martha’s Vineyard Museum for the past two summers. You may see Zoe’s brilliant, sincere smile when you check in at the museum’s front desk. She’s an engaging presence, with wonder in her heart, thoughtfulness in her eyes, and readiness in her posture.
Zoe is already impacting our history, the way we see it, process it, and add to it. History is drawn from the perspectives of those who have lived it. If more firsthand reports are available, the more we can decipher an accurate picture of what happened. History is also about interpretation. Zoe’s path of discovery has led to a fresh angle, her interpretation of the impact a legend like Dorothy West made in this community and beyond.
Last summer, the Dorothy West exhibition drew Zoe in so much that she began work on a short film called “Ms. West.” The film features a new look at West’s character and her lasting impact here. A complex figure from the famed Harlem Renaissance, West’s body of work reflects a life in a changing, race-conscious America. Zoe will be showing her film at the museum on Thursday, August 1, from 5 to 6 pm. Through Zoe’s research, and interviews with many family members and folks who knew West, viewers will find striking similarities to the challenges and triumphs in America today. This will be Zoe’s first screening and discussion about her work as a young filmmaker. Come support Zoe on August 1, and show our driven youth how valuable their contributions are.
Museums nowadays are charged with the energy of those who visit. And our museum is determined to spark the imagination of all ages, and be the ultimate collaborator, authenticator, and trusted source of our beloved Island’s history.
Design for young explorers, “Extinction,” is the theme for Discovery Days July 30 – August 2. Extinction week allows children to get up-close and personal with some fantastic clues of long-lost creatures. Our discoverers will dig for clues and investigate fossils; we will craft habitats to learn more about some of the unbelievable creatures that walked the earth millions of years ago.
On Sunday, July 28, from 4 to 5 pm, there will be a Q and A with historian Matthew Stackpole titled “The Charles W. Morgan — The Last Wooden Whaleship in the World.” So happens, July 28 is the 10th anniversary of its restoration and sailing tour of New England ports.
There will be a fascinating talk during Legacy Week on Wednesday, July 31, at 5:30 pm, called “A Better Life for Their Children: Julius Rosenwald and Booker T. Washington” during which author Andrew Feiler shares insights from his new book, “A Better Life for Their Children: Julius Rosenwald, Booker T. Washington, and 4,978 Schools that Changed America.” The Rosenwald School Program was a historic collaboration between the African American and Jewish communities, building almost 5,000 schools for Black children across 15 states in the opening decades of the 20th century, thereby enhancing educational opportunities in the segregated South. Legacy Week founder Sheryl Wesley will make opening remarks. History shows us that our children have always been a driving force in the choices we make.
Visit mvmuseum.org for more information about upcoming exhibitions and events. The museum is open Tuesday through Sunday year-round. Summer-season hours: Tuesday, 10 am – 7 pm, Wednesday through Sunday, 10 am – 5 pm. Admission is free to members; admission for nonmembers is $18 for adults, $15 for seniors, $5 for children 7 to 17, and free for children 6 and under. Islander rates are available.
