Helmi Harrington Honoured with “Citizen of the Year” Award – USA

June 14th 2024
Jane Christison, Secretary, A World of Accordions Museum

by Jane Christison, Secretary, A World of Accordions Museum

WORLD OF ACCORDIONS MUSEUM POSTER

Jane Christison, Secretary of the AWAM and Helmi Harrington, museum Founder, Curator, and President of the Board of AWAM.
Helmi Harrington

Video: Presentation to Dr. Helmi Harrington, Superior, Wisconsin – Citizen of the Year.

Picture left: Helmi Harrington with instruments from the museum collection.
Picture right: Jane Christison, Secretary of the AWAM and Helmi Harrington, museum Founder, Curator, and President of the Board of AWAM.

On May 30th, 2024, Helmi Harrington, PhD, founder and curator of A World of Accordions Museum (AWAM) was named the Citizen of the Year by the City of Superior, Wisconsin, USA.

Helmi was given a key to the city by Mayor Jim Paine. This award has only been given out a few times, and all of us at A World of Accordions are so proud of her and all her hard work over the years building the incredible accordion family of instruments collections housed at A World of Accordions Museum.

At the upcoming ATG Festival, July 23-27, 2024, in Kansas City, Missouri, there will be a viewing of the documentary, “A World of Accordions . . . a Harrington Legacy,” featuring Helmi Strahl Harrington, Ph.D., Curator, A World of Accordions Museum. The documentary was sponsored by the Accordionists and Teachers Guild, International (ATG).

In the State of the City Address given by Mayor Jim Paine, he recognized Dr. Helmi Harrington, the founder and curator of the Harrington Arts Center: “She is a teacher, a musician, a historian, an artist, and a storyteller. She attracts visitors and admirers from around the world. She already has a building named for her,” said Paine. “Thanks to her, Superior, Wisconsin is nationally and globally recognized as a center of art, music, learning, and timeless beauty. She is, quite possibly, our greatest storyteller and now counts among her lifetime honors the title: Citizen of the Year.”