The “Our Stories, Our Stuff, Our Somerville” exhibit currently on display at the Somerville Museum serves as a slice in time of everyday life in the city. — Photos by Jackson Ellison

By Jackson Ellison 

The Somerville Museum opened up a new exhibit that focuses on the people of Somerville. The exhibit is called Our Stories, Our Stuff, Our Somerville, and is a collection of everyday items that were provided by Somerville residents. The exhibit runs from February 14 to March 31.

The curator, Bess Paupeck, was awarded a grant from the museum to open up the Our Somerville exhibit. She wanted to show off Somerville by letting the residents of the city provide the artifacts. “I asked people to loan everyday objects that told a story,” said Paupeck.

Paupeck says she spent a long time getting the word out, allowing for the submission process to go on for eight months in order to get as many different items from as many different places as possible. “I wanted to make a project that connects everyone,” Paupeck said.

There were no real guidelines when it came to what would be submitted, as Paupeck let the donors decide what items told the story of Somerville best. “I was interested in how people interpreted the call,” said Paupeck.

The exhibit shows that people heard the call for everyday items that have a story, in many different ways, from a bat broken by Manny Ramirez to aged whiskey, to an entire rubber duck collection, the Somerville community provided plenty of unique displays.

Paupeck says she wanted the exhibit to highlight the diverse interests and stories the people of Somerville have. This exhibit creates a space to let people show off items that are unique and hold a lot of meaning to their owners.

Dan Soszynski, a Somerville resident who had a crochet blanket on display, appreciated the communal aspect of the exhibit. “I think it’s really cool that it brings together such a variety of different memories and stories from people from town,” said Soszynski, “Like things that are decades and decades old and things that are more recent.”

Soszynski also likes that this exhibit gives people the ability to say their items have been displayed in a museum. “It’s a unique thing to be able to say to family or friends I have a thing in the Somerville Museum this month,” said Soszynski.

The Our Somerville exhibit will be putting on different events throughout the month of March. Starting off with a tour of the exhibit led by Paupeck. A closing ceremony, where the owners of the displays will explain what their item means to them will take place on March 31.