Major exhibition to mark 5 years since the Pulse tragedy

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History Center seeks community submissions for featured mural

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  • The exhibition will be on display from May 29 to Aug. 15 at the History Center, 65 E. Central Blvd. in downtown Orlando.
    The exhibition will be on display from May 29 to Aug. 15 at the History Center, 65 E. Central Blvd. in downtown Orlando.
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The Orange County Regional History Center is announcing details of its upcoming special remembrance exhibition, COMMUNITY: Five Years After the Pulse Tragedy, designed to reflect how the tragedy’s impact extended well beyond the physical boundaries of Central Florida. 

The exhibition will be on display from May 29 to Aug. 15 at the History Center, 65 E. Central Blvd. in downtown Orlando.

 “The entire world felt the grief of the Pulse nightclub attack, and together we found courage in community, both those that had existed and new ones of which we became a part.” said Pam Schwartz, executive director. “The History Center’s exhibit follows the five-year journey we all continue today.” 

 Communities both locally and across the globe were touched by the mass shooting at Orlando’s Pulse nightclub on June 12, 2016. Visitors to the exhibition will follow the story of the club, from its earliest conception through 2016, as well as the widespread response to the devastating event, both immediately and in the years since. By telling this important part of Pulse’s collective history, the History Center seeks to celebrate the spirit of community, honor the 49 victims, and all those who have been affected.

 To help celebrate that spirit, the History Center is seeking artists’ submissions for a mural to be featured in the exhibition. The mural should reflect the theme of community in relation to the Pulse nightclub shooting and the subsequent local response, as well as fit within a space no larger than 16 feet wide and eight feet tall. Artists must submit a concept rendering no larger than 8.5 inches by 11 inches by April 9, along with a brief written description that addresses the artist’s inspiration and connection to the theme.

 Since 2016, the History Center has become a national authority on urgent response and contemporary collecting after community tragedy. Immediately after the Pulse shooting, museum staff spearheaded the One Orlando Collection Initiative, which now includes more than 12,500 artifacts, photographs, archives and oral histories. These efforts, along with other important work, earned the History Center the 2019 Institute of Museums and Library Service National Medal, the top award in the industry. 

 In total, the History Center has won eight regional or national awards for its One Orlando Collection and annual Pulse exhibitions. Most recently, it earned the Distinguished Service Award from the Society for American Archivists Awards (SAA) for its “outstanding service to its public” and “exemplary contribution to the archives profession.”

Additional details on the exhibition as well as the mural submission requirements are available at www.thehistorycenter.org/exhibition/community-pulse/.