June Beyond the Clock with Melissa Peña
Tuesday, June 11th from 4-5pm CDT!
Beyond the Clock is a monthly digital learning exchange and happy hour for rural connectors and cultural workers hosted by Department of Public Transformation and Voices for Rural Resilience, in partnership with the Rural Assembly. June's creative learning exchange event will take place on Tuesday, June 11th from 4-5pm CDT with special guest, Melissa Peña with the Museum of South Texas History!
In this conversation with Melissa, we will explore themes of archiving the stories of one's community and the trust and reciprocity required to do so, considering questions like: in rural communities, where humility often reigns, how do we invite humble leaders to document their stories and archive their own journeys? How do we prioritize what stories or artifacts to keep and what to let go of? And, as cultural workers, what resources and/or boundaries do we need to sustain doing archival work?
Melissa Peña, an Edinburg, Texas native, graduated from the University of Texas-Pan American with a Bachelor of Arts in History. During her internship at the Museum of South Texas History, she volunteered in the Margaret H. McAllen Memorial Archives, which encouraged her to pursue a Master in Archival Studies from Clayton State University. Since joining the staff in 2015, Melissa has worked in various positions at MOSTHistory, reinforcing the importance of preservation and community storytelling. Now, as the archivist she advocates for a broader collecting mission and a more accessible archive.
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Portrait of Melissa was created by Nhatt Nichols, this year's Beyond the Clock illustrator and storyteller-in-residence! Please join us on Tuesday, June 11th for what is sure to be an inspiring presentation and discussion!
See you soon!