The “Italians in Chicago” traveling exhibit may soon be showcased at a public library near you, thanks to volunteers from the Italian Cultural Center at Casa Italia.
The exhibit, which explores the Italian-American immigrant experience in Chicago, was conceived in 1978 by Dominic Candeloro, a professor of Italian-American studies at the University of Illinois at Chicago. The project came to life after receiving a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities.
The permanent exhibit first opened at the Chicago Public Library Cultural Center in the spring of 1981. Following its time there, it moved to the Italian Cultural Center in Stone Park, where a portable version was created to travel to other locations.
While the permanent exhibit has been updated in the 1990s and again in 2023, the traveling exhibit remains unchanged from its original 1981 presentation.
The exhibit features 16 panels, each measuring 6 by 5 feet, and covers eight decades—from 1880 to 1961. It highlights the immigrant journey, covering topics such as life in Italy, the passage to Chicago, festivals, weddings, work, schools, churches, neighborhoods, and community organizations.
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