Some cry, others smile at exhibit
Collection at history center closes today
notes, T-shirts, drawings and other artifacts made some visitors weep and others smile this week at the Orange County Regional History Center as they viewed tributes to the 49 people killed in the Pulse nightclub shooting.
The temporary exhibit, which closes today, features snippets of love, grief and defiance from memorial sites that sprouted in the wake of the June 12, 2016, tragedy.
“I think it’s beautiful, I think it’s amazing,” said Brian Alvear of Tampa, brother of Pulse victim Amanda Alvear. “I wish it was permanent. It’s sad we’re not going to be able to see it year round or go whenever we want.”
The exhibit is slated to end because the museum in downtown Orlando is a wedding ven-
ue. The center is displaying the Pulse collection in a second-floor room rented for a wedding party.
“We plan our space and timing of everything well over a year in advance,” museum manager Michael Perkins said. “The room this exhibit is in already had different events and such planned for it. I already had contracts for the room.”
Hours for the final day are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is free.
About 1,200 people visited the free Pulse exhibit Monday — a one-day count greater than the total combined attendance for most weeks at the center. Through Thursday, 1,608 people toured the exhibit.
That figure doesn’t include the 600 family members and close friends of Pulse victims who attended private viewings arranged by the museum’s staff.
The exhibit, enhanced by muted lighting, includes simple things such as a note by a 5-year-old named Cooper who wrote on a red painted heart: “Are you okay? I will give you a Band-Aid or a present.” Other, more detailed pieces also offer comfort, such as a handmade quilt featuring photographs of all 49 people who died on “Latin Night” at the LGBT dance club.
Stitched by Roberta Blick, 90, of Ocoee, the quilt is signed by former President Barack Obama, singer Jennifer Lopez, Broadway superstar LinManuel Miranda and hundreds of others, including survivors of the shooting.
“It’s the joy of my life, the best thing I ever did,” said Blick, who couldn’t see the exhibit because she is in hospice care. “It gave meaning to this old lady’s life.”
The exhibition shows a tiny fraction of tributes collected by county archivists from the lawn of the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts, the campus of Orlando Regional Medical Center, Lake Eola Park and the grounds of Pulse.
“It’s very, very sad,” said Olga Gomez, 57, who drove two hours from South Florida to honor the victims, nearly half of whom have family roots in Puerto Rico like she does. “It saddened my heart that some people can still hate so much.”
While sorrow and grief gripped some visitors at the exhibit, others said they found hope among the artifacts and images.
“Oh my God, seeing our community openly embracing us … rings all the bells,” said gay activist Nancy Rosado, a retired New York City police officer. “Culturally we’re changing for the better.”
Many visitors accepted a History Center invitation to “write your thoughts” with bright Sharpies on a blank poster pinned to a wall near the exhibit’s exit. The poster will be archived, too, an official said.
“Like a rainbow can create beauty in broken glass, we must create beauty after tragedy,” read a message signed Hannah B. with a red heart.
On a typical week, about 340 visitors tour the museum on Central Boulevard to peruse detailed exhibits on on aviation, citrus and the rise of Walt Disney World, tourism and theme parks, Perkins said.
“We’ve had great success, we think, with the One Orlando Collection exhibit this week,” he said. “We’ve received a lot of very positive comments from the community, some good, positive feedback from family members who saw the exhibit.”
The displays, some encased in glass, include boxing gloves left at Pulse by gay Puerto Rican fighter Orlando “El Fenomeno” Cruz, who dedicated his championship bout a month after the massacre to Pulse victims. Before the fight started, the ringside bell rang 49 times.
Although the special exhibit is closing, a smaller display will remain near the museum exit. Also, artifacts and tributes will remain available for viewing in a growing online gallery.
Perkins said the museum has long-term plans to install a permanent exhibit. Pulse “certainly deserves a place here,” he said.