360º Vision

By Ted Resnikoff

A Different Kind of Storytelling in Our New Home

Dear friend,

Our current headquarters at 25 Beacon Street is steeped in rich history and fond memories. We will take those memories with us to our new headquarters at 24 Farnsworth, but we must do more than merely remember our past. We need to embrace our future by telling our story in new, dynamic, and engaging ways. That is why I am thrilled that the Rev. Dr. Terasa Cooley, Program and Strategy Officer of the UUA, is overseeing the development of our new Heritage and Vision Center at 24 Farnsworth. I have asked Terasa to share her reflections on this important project. And I can’t wait to welcome UUs from around the country -- and the world -- to the new Heritage and Vision Center.

In faith, Rev. Peter Morales UUA President

One of the great opportunities with the new headquarters is to tell the story of our faith in ways that link our past, present, and future. We will be able to represent and explore the many facets of our faith, our heritage, and our impact in our communities and culture through an interactive UU Heritage and Vision Center that will be on the first floor of our new headquarters and open to anyone who travels through our doors.

We are privileged to have Dr. Amy Aiseirithe working with us as the project manager for the Heritage and Vision Center. Amy has a Ph.D. in History from University of Chicago, and has worked on numerous public history projects. Last week, I, along with Amy, and the Heritage and Vision Center Advisory Committee met with Boston Productions, Inc., the production company that will bring this vision to life, to begin talking specifics about how the Heritage and Vision Center might weave our storied past, our dynamic present, and our exciting future together in a living stream.

We are in the planning stages for building a collection of displays that will allow us to:

  • Root ourselves in a rich history while looking forward to the future;
  • Have a presence and a reach that is local, regional, national, and global;
  • Deepen the dynamic relationship among the headquarters, congregations, and partner organizations; and
  • Share our story in the larger context of cultural movements.

Right now, we are envisioning that this center will include actual material objects and artifacts as well as digital interactive displays. We want the digital portion to be available online, and integrated with social networking sites and mobile devices. Most important, the center will include ways for visitors to record impressions, leave messages, and contribute expressions of their faith and their vision for our movement's future.

The source material for these displays will come from the Unitarian Universalist Association, but also from congregations and partner organizations. We imagine that this content will evolve over time.

We are thrilled to seize this opportunity to show everyone like never before who we are, where we come from, what we are doing now, and how we are making the world a better place. I look forward to sharing the progress of this exciting new center with you.

In partnership, Rev. Dr. Terasa Cooley Program and Strategy Officer, UUA P.S. The Reverend Erik Resly, Lead Minister of the Sanctuaries in Washington, D.C. and a member of the Heritage Center Advisory Committee, shares some of his thoughts on this new center. Watch his video here.