GCC Celebrates NYS History Month with Genesee County Heritage Fair

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Derek Maxfield holding a portrait of President Lincoln that was drawn by Michael Garrett as a personal gift to honor Derek’s many efforts to commemorate the 150th Year Commemoration of the Civil War.

BATAVIA, NY (10/17/2016)(readMedia)-- November is New York State History Month and to honor the occasion, the Genesee County Federation of Historical Agencies and the Genesee Community College History Club are sponsoring a Genesee County Heritage Fair in the William W. Stuart Forum at GCC on November 5th from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

With the 2016 presidential election just days later on November 8th, the theme of the heritage fair will be presidential elections. Museums and historical agencies from all over Genesee County will set up booths for visitors to explore. Many will feature presidential memorabilia. In addition, there will be local history books on sale, craft demonstrations, historical impressionists and much more.

In keeping with the presidential theme, local schools will participate through two special contests. Elementary school students will be asked to draw portraits of their favorite president. Junior and senior high students will be asked to write short essays. Winners of both contests will be announced at the event. Additionally, event organizers are asking the community at-large to vote on their top ten favorite presidents by completing the online survey available at this link. https://surveyplanet.com/57fe980f5820315e61af75c7. The results will be tallied up and shared at the end of the Heritage Fair.

"During the most contentious election process of modern times, the organizers of the Genesee County Heritage Fair are excited to fuse some of our nation's presidential election history with the current and lately, contentious topic," Derek Maxfield, said associate professor of history at GCC, advisor to the College's History Club and a member of the planning committee. "Through the various displays and history initiatives, we hope to remind everyone how important voting is to preserving our democracy."

New York State History Month was created by the New York State legislature in 1997 and represents an opportunity for historians to assert the vital importance of preserving and learning about our state's history. It is also a time to engage with the public through programs and learning opportunities about the history of New York State and the ways in which we can help preserve our history.

Further information on New York State History Month can be found at http://files.ctctcdn.com/9499bee6001/9e234d9f-c057-4176-a9da-d7e98c2cc00c.pdf

For more information on the GCC History Club, visit https://gcchistoricalhorizons.wordpress.com/.

For more information, contact Marketing Communications Associate Director Donna Rae Sutherland at (585) 343-0055 ext. 6616, or via email: dsutherland@genesee.edu.

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Editor's Note:

A photograph of Derek Maxfield holding a portrait of President Lincoln that was drawn by Michael Garrett as a personal gift to honor Derek's many efforts to commemorate the 150th Year Commemoration of the Civil War, go to:

http://marketing.genesee.edu/images/Maxfield_Derek_wLincolnProtrait.jpg