Holocaust and Human Rights Center

Visit this summer

Did you know that there is a holocaust and human rights center in Maine? I saw a friend last week who wasn’t aware until recently. Thinking that there are Maine arts ed blog readers who might not know either I thought I’d provide some information. It’s an informative center that I suggest you consider taking your students to during the 2018-2019 school year. Visit this summer and check it out!

Founded in 1985, the Holocaust and Human Rights Center of Maine (HHRC) works to promote universal respect for human rights through outreach and education. It is located on the University of Maine, Augusta campus in the Michael Klahr Center. Many of you know that for the past four years the Maine Arts Commission has annually reviewed several of our grants at the center.

The center of the HHRC’s work in Maine focuses on education. During the 2017/2018 more than 5,000 secondary school students and teachers experienced at least one of the HHRC’s eight educational outreach programs. In addition, more than 6,000 visitors came to the Klahr Center for classes, workshops, trainings, or events.

The HHRC also hosts three ongoing exhibits at the Klahr Center. Those include a short video, Michael’s Story, about Michael Klahr who survived the Holocaust as a hidden child; The Holocaust: Presence of the Past photographs by Judith Glickman Lauder; and the 80-minute multi-media art instillation film Were the House Still Standing: Maine Survivors and Liberators Remember the Holocaust.

HHRC’s current exhibits, Along the Migrant Trails, is an exhibit focusing on the plight of migrants in the Arizona desert. Along the Migrant Trails is a collection of items left in the desert by migrants that were collected by volunteers who scour the desert looking for sick and injured people, while also leaving water and food. Since 2008, the remains of more than 3,000 individuals have also been found in the desert.

A long time friend of arts education David Greenham, known for his work in theatre education, is the assistant director at the center and has been there since 2013. The new director is Shenna Bellows.

The center is located at 46 University Drive. Admission and parking is free. The Klahr Center is open Monday through Friday from 10 am to 4 pm during evenings or weekends by appointment.