D rill bits whirring, hammers drumming, wire brushes scratching, squeaky foam sliding snugly into place, cardboard hissing, paper crinkling, doors opening, steps approaching, people speaking Italian about where or how to put or do this or that, occasional pauses for figuring and contemplating.
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A lot’s gone into Joy to the World: Crèches of Central Europe, the Knights of Columbus Museum’s 11th annual Christmastime nativity scene show. The aforementioned sounds recount about 15 minutes’ worth, observed while the exhibit was being installed a couple of weeks ago.
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Those 15 minutes represent just a footnote, as these 20 photos represent just a sampling. The exhibit pulls in 75+ Christmas displays loaned from institutions in seven proximate but immensely diverse countries—more if you count extra crèches shown from the museum’s private collections. Crafted by excellent artisans working with paint, wood, plaster, paper, fiber and even cornhusk, they present a view of how Central Europe and beyond celebrates Christmas, in New Haven.
Joy to the World: Crèches of Central Europe
1 State St, New Haven (map)
Daily 10am-5pm, except Christmas Eve and Christmas, through January 31, 2016
(203) 865-0400
www.kofcmuseum.org/…
Written and photographed by Dan Mims.
