The small town of Windsor, Canada, has seen decades of successful operation of the Serbian Heritage Museum of Windsor , i.e. the Museum of Serbian Cultural Heritage, which has so far organized events, promotions, literary evenings and exhibitions, all with one goal – preservation of the Serbian language, tradition and culture in the diaspora.

– The Serbian Heritage Museum of Windsor was founded in 1987 as a non-profit organization and is located within the Serbian Center. It is the largest museum outside Serbia and the only one of its kind in Canada. It promotes multiculturalism in Canada by preserving, celebrating and promoting the contribution of Serbian heritage in Canadian lives and communities, says Mara Ćelić, president of the Museum.

She adds that their goal is to collect, preserve and promote Serbian heritage, to research, exhibit and interpret the collection of artifacts and archival material related to Serbian history, traditions and customs.

– The Museum holds over 10,000 artifacts such as archives, costumes and textiles, books and newspapers, photographs, music and instruments, jewelry, monetary items, etc. It is open to the public and serves the citizens of Windsor & Essex County by imparting knowledge through exhibits, publications, research and educational programs, including lectures, films, plays and concerts. An average of 750 people visit the Museum per year, says Ćelić.

Over the years, the Museum held over a hundred exhibitions depicting Serbian culture and tradition.

– Currently, the ongoing exhibition is Kolo, Traditional Folk Dance in Serbia, and those most recent include: The 80th Anniversary of the Passing of Nikola Tesla, Celebrating the History and Traditions of Serbian Weddings, A Peek into Our Collection, The Serbian Orthodox Church 800 Years of Autocephaly, The Heriot Boys, Women Who Went to War in Serbia, etc. We are preparing the exhibition Serbian Composers in North America for the SSF Singing Festival in May this year, and in October we are planning an exhibition about Jovan Dučić in cooperation with the Museum of Herzegovina Trebinje, announces the interlocutor, adding that the Museum is managed by a board of 10 directors/volunteers.

– I am very proud and grateful to have the opportunity to head such an organization. Being part of the board that selflessly strives to preserve and promote Serbian culture is truly a magnificent thing. I am happy that we have several generations of volunteers on the board and that young people are interested in preserving our culture and participating in fundraising projects, promoting the Museum, and helping to technically modernize the Museum. The support of the Windsor Serbian community is our pillar and we endeavor to return that support to the community by preparing exhibitions and programs that are both educational and entertaining. I hope that the readers will also have the opportunity to visit the Museum and feel the beauty and love for the tradition that we are trying to preserve for generations to come, says Mara Ćelić, director of the Serbian Cultural Heritage Museum of Windsor.

Source: Serbian Times

Photo: Serbian Heritage Museum