The Above and Beyond exhibit at the Somerville Museum, will showcase the life of Phil Reavis, a Somerville native, Olympic athlete, long-time educator, and one of the first people of color in Somerville with a public space named in his honor.

Reavis broke records as a high jumper, appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated magazine, coached Vietnam’s 1964 Olympic track and field team, and enjoyed a long career as a teacher, coach, and musician. A world traveler, Reavis now divides his time between Somerville and Macau, China. The Somerville High School’s athletic field will be named The Philip Reavis, Sr. Field.

This exhibition is a collaboration between the Somerville Museum and students from the Somerville High School Local History Club, led by teacher Adda Santos. In 2020, History Club students, Museum staff, and volunteers collaborated to create an exhibition called The Basement Project: Not Your Usual Basement Junk, where each student selected an item from the Museum’s collection and wrote about its history and significance.

This project was nationally recognized with a 2021 Leadership in History Award from the American Association for State and Local History (AASLH). Nominated by the Museum, Adda Santos was awarded the 2020 William Spratt Award for Excellence in Teaching Secondary Social Studies from the Massachusetts Council for Social Studies.

This program was supported in part by a grant from the Somerville Arts Council, a local agency supported by Mass Cultural Council.

Opening reception event: Thursday, June 8, 6:00 – 8:00 p.m. at the Somerville Museum, 1 Westwood Road, Somerville, MA 02143. Museum open hours*: Thursdays, 2:00 – 7:00 p.m.; Fridays, 2:00 – 5:00 p.m.; Saturdays, 12:00 – 5:00 p.m.

Admission: $5; free to Somerville Museum members and visitors 18 years of age and under*.

If you plan to attend, please respond to this email so we can add you to our VIP list with free admission.

Accessibility: The Somerville Museum is now handicapped accessible. The ADA entrance can be found on the ground level at 1 Westwood Road. *Valid for this exhibition only.

*The Museum is only open to the public while there is an exhibition installed, please check the website calendar for more information: http://www.somervillemuseum.org.