Foster Youth Museum Presents Lost Childhoods Exhibition at Grace Cathedral
October 15 – November 1, 2015
Grace Cathedral, 1100 California Street, San Francisco
Open Daily, 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM
Foster Youth Museum presents its groundbreaking exhibit about youth experiences in foster care at the historic Grace Cathedral in San Francisco. Through photos, donated objects, video portraits, and foster youth art, Lost Childhoods tells the story of loss and powerlessness – and the human capacity for resilience and connection.
Visitors to Grace Cathedral may be surprised by the artifacts that youth have chosen to save and share, from the hefty case reports that follow foster youth from placement to placement, to letters from incarcerated loved ones. In the words of museum contributor, Sophia Herman, “It’s so important for foster youth to have documentation of their experiences. Lost Childhoods validates our existence.”
The museum highlights several themes that characterize experiences in foster care, including loss, developmental disruption, institutionalization, and powerlessness. The museum does not stop there, however, and also highlights the remarkable stories of perseverance, achievement, and connection. “Some of the objects reveal the role of faith in perseverance,” says Jamie Lee Evans, co-director of Foster Youth Museum. “We are proud to be partnering with Braid Mission and Grace Cathedral on this exhibition because communities of faith can play such an important role in supporting foster youth.”
The Braid Mission, a ministry of the Episcopal Diocese of California and lead sponsor of the exhibition, is a spiritual community that brings together the young, entrepreneurial spirit of San Francisco with the needs of youth whose life experience has included the challenge of being in foster care. In the words of The Reverend Rebecca Edwards, ““At Braid, it is our fundamental belief that divine love heals wounds and all of us are channels of that love. Whether or not you describe yourself as a person of faith, everyone has the power to bring healing love to a foster child.”
Foster Youth Museum was conceived by a group of former foster youth who wanted to share their experiences, so people could better understand the needs of foster youth in their community. In 2012, there were 51,800 children under the age of 18, in California, living in foster care. Approximately 4,000 foster youth “age out” of care each year with insufficient housing, support, education, wellness, and resources.[1]
Lost Childhoods is curated by Ray Bussolari and a team of exhibition collaborators, all of whom are former foster youth. The exhibit features more than 50 items, and is made possible with the generous support of Braid Mission, Grace Cathedral, the Diocese of California, Zellerbach Family Foundation, and Stuart Foundation.
Grace Cathedral, 1100 California Street, San Francisco, CA, is open daily from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Admission is free.
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