FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Kim Court, Public Affairs

Date, 2009 (315) 498-2054

SYRACUSE, NY –

The 15th Ward: Memories of a Syracuse Neighborhood Transformed

For the next two months, through January 29, the photography exhibition, “15th Ward: Memories of a Syracuse Neighborhood Transformed,” will be on display in the lobby of Coulter Library.


The 15th Ward in Syracuse was a predominantly Jewish and African American neighborhood destroyed in the late 1950s and early 1960s through urban renewal, the construction of Interstate 81 and the expansion of Upstate Medical Center. The exhibition traces the historical development of the neighborhood from the early 20th century through the urban renewal period of the 1960s and concludes with a look at the neighborhood as it is found today. On view will be photographs that document the early days of the district as it evolved into a center for Jewish life in Syracuse. As the area progressed from those early days, it gradually became a destination for African Americans moving north in search of a better life. The photographs also show the neighborhood during the urban renewal period and the construction of I-81.

The exhibition consists of nearly 60 photographs drawn from the collections of the Judaic Heritage Center, the Onondaga Historical Association, Coulter Library at Onondaga Community College and Beauchamp Library, as well as former and current residents of this part of the city. Included in the exhibition are the photographs of Aldo Tambellini and Marjory Wilkins. The exhibition was organized, researched, designed and constructed by students in the Graduate Program in Museum Studies in Syracuse University’s College of Visual and Performing Arts. The 15th Ward project has also included numerous community organizations and individuals, including the Judaic Heritage Center, Southwest Community Center, Temple Society of Concord and Grace Episcopal Church.

With more than 12,000 students, Onondaga Community College is the second-largest undergraduate institution in Central New York and was named one of the fastest-growing community colleges in the country by Community College Week. Founded in 1961, it is a comprehensive two-year college operating under the State University of New York (SUNY) and is locally sponsored by Onondaga County. Onondaga offers nearly 50 programs of study, bachelor and master’s degrees available on campus through the Regional Higher Education Center, and more than 80 other transfer agreements with four-year colleges and universities. Home to three-time NJCAA national champion men’s lacrosse and 2009 NJCAA women’s lacrosse teams, Onondaga has eleven intercollegiate men’s and women’s athletic teams.

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