Homelands Exhibition

In 1920, inspired by successful events in Buffalo & Albany, the Gallery collaborated with the Chamber of Commerce, the Board of Education, and the city administration in organizing a 10-day exhibition celebrating the arts and culture of immigrant citizens. The Rochester Homelands Exhibition was part of a national response to the "red scares" after World War I -- encouraging familiarity with the traditional arts and crafts of the cultures of immigrants to the US, and welcoming ethnic newcomers to the Rochester community. The exhibition, held on the grounds of Exposition Park, was hugely successful, attracting a total of 160,000 visitors. The Memorial Art Gallery’s scrapbooks document the Art exhibitions, musical groups, and posters created by Rochester City School students.