A living testimony. This is perhaps the best way to describe a new exhibit at the Museum of South Texas History in Edinburg, an exhibit designed to memorialize some of the casualties in the Rio Grande Valley due to COVID-19, as told by their survivors.
The Bearing Witness exhibit is a collection of stories told by community members about loved ones they have lost to the pandemic and wanted to recognize.
The exhibit is scheduled to be open from April 11 to Aug. 1. The last day to see the exhibit will be July 31.
As of Thursday, there have been a total of 3,885 deaths in Hidalgo County alone since the start of the pandemic. The volume of deaths coupled with the disruption of lives and society as a result of the pandemic has been unprecedented in the Valley, especially during the summer of 2020.
Francisco Guajardo, chief executive officer for the MOSTHistory, hopes that the exhibit will serve as a healing process for the Valley community and bring a sense of closure.
He also views the pandemic as a momentous occasion in history, and hopes the exhibit will provide a better understanding of the magnitude that was COVID-19 in the Valley.
“The expectation that we have is that people will come to the museum and they will be able to reflect much like a memorial would,” Guajardo said. “Our intent is to provide to the community a way to look at history by presenting the stories of those that we have lost … It is living history.”
Over the course of six months beginning in 2020, the museum spoke to families who wanted to share stories of their loved ones for the Bearing Witness collection. Throughout that time they collected various stories that they believe encapsulate the severity and impact of the pandemic.
“I think people called the museum because they wanted to eulogize their loved ones in ways that were deep and meaningful and significant,” Guajardo said.
According to Melissa Peña, the exhibit and collections coordinator at MOSTHistory, the newest exhibit will display the Bearing Witness stories along with a photograph of the deceased.
It will consist of 22 fabric panels measuring 2-feet-by-6-feet that will be placed on stands designed for the exhibit.
“I wanted it to stand out, I wanted it to be profound without a lot of distraction.”
Peña stated that she has spoken to a family member of one of the people in the collection who expressed that he is looking forward to seeing the exhibit.
The museum, located at 200 N. Closner Blvd. in Edinburg, is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and opens from 1-5 p.m. on Sunday.
