Burke Museum

The University of Washington (UW) Global Innovation Fund recently award a grant to support a partnership between the UW’s Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture and the Jorge B. Vargas Museum and Filipiniana Research Center to link their belongings with communities around the world. Called, “Building a Global Barangay: Engaging Philippine Collections at Home and Abroad,” this digital-focused endeavor will bridge local and international communities in learning about and sharing reflections on cultural belongings, memory making, and collective identifications that would have otherwise been out of range for many audiences situated outside of either museums. The Burke Museum houses more than 4,200 Philippine cultural belongings and archival materials, some of which date back to the 1898 Philippine-American War. The Vargas Museum holdings include Philippine iconic artwork, memorabilia, and the Jorge B. Vargas private collection. This partnership hopes to cultivate both physical and digital spaces for students and community centers interested in learning about and producing reflections on these linked collections.