The Family Store: A History of the Jewish Businesses of Downtown Asheville 1880-1990 is now over for 2015. You can see some of the info online at:
http://toto.lib.unca.edu/web_exhibits/family_store/default_family_store.htm
This exhibit is the culmination of a project researched and completed by Jan Schochet and Sharon Fahrer from 2000-2005. We were awarded 2 small grants by the NC Humanities Council to plan the project and to collect oral histories.
Our advisers in our planning session recommended making this a public history project–one in which people could happen upon it simply by walking around downtown.
Having the panels in the windows of commercial buildings across downtown Asheville–with one permanent outdoor panel that is always available for viewing–would allow us to bring this history to the people. No museum attendance necessary.
This year’s exhibit will be up until Thanksgiving 2015. We wish to thank the businesses that kindly turned their windows over to The Family Store Exhibit.
Panel Locations for 2015
BBT Bank building — currently in the empty space in the NE side of the building
828 Design–32 Broadway
Mast General Store — 15 Biltmore Ave
Tops for Shoes–27 N. Lexington Ave
Farmburger– 10 Patton Ave
Corner of S. Lexington and Patton Ave across from KressMart
Polymer Testing Instruments–75 Patton Ave
Athenas–14 College St
Asheville Downtown Association–29 Haywood St
Earth Guild–33 Haywood St
Gentleman’s Gallery–66 Haywood St
Pack Library–67 Haywood St
There is a book that contains all the content of the panels, with the same name as the exhibit: The Family Store: A History of the Jewish Businesses of Downtown Asheville, 1880-1990.
It is for sale at the Asheville Art Museum.
More information that is updated daily is available at our Facebook page. You can also ask questions there. Here’s that link: http://www.facebook.com/TheFamilyStoreExhibit
Presentation at Pack Library, August 27, 2015 at 6 p.m.
