MMWC Mathers Museum of World Cultures Summer 2018 No. 13
Themester grants for upcoming Fall Semester programs MMWC and the Center for Rural Engagement “Creative Aging� celebration
From the Director: The Center for Rural Engagement Have you already heard about Indiana University’s new Center for Rural Engagement? IU Bloomington Provost and Executive Vice President Lauren Robel launched the Center in March of this year. Kicked off with a $10 million grant from the Lilly Endowment, Inc., the Center will support regionally-based initiatives to address community-identified opportunities and needs in eleven southwest central Indiana counties in the campus’ backyard. Established on the basis of numerous joint projects already underway and discussions held between a large number of community and campus leaders, the Center will link to the new network of IU students engaged in community service (IU Corps) and, as noted in the university’s announcement, will connect “the broad resources of IU Bloomington and its region through collaborative initiatives. The goal of the center is to improve the lives and opportunities of Hoosier by working with partners to discover… solutions to common challenges facing rural communities.” How does the MMWC fit in? At the museum in Bloomington, and through collaborative activities taking place throughout the area, the museum has long provided rich cultural opportunities to the people of the southwest central Indiana region. Our commitment to being our region’s gateway to the world is unwavering and we also remain (continued on page 3)
MMWC Staff and Affiliates Staff
Research Associates
Policy Committee (cont.)
Geoffrey Conrad, Director Emeritus Theresa Harley-Wilson, Registrar Sarah Hatcher, Head of Programs and Education Jason Baird Jackson, Director Jon Kay, Director of Traditional Arts Indiana and Curator of Folklife and Cultural Heritage Judith A. Kirk, Assistant Director Mark Price, Preparator Ellen Sieber, Chief Curator Matthew Sieber, Manager of Exhibitions Kelly Wherley, Facilities Manager
Sara Clark (Indiana University Educational Leadership and Policy) Gloria Colom (Indiana University Folklore and Ethnomusicology) Elizabeth Faier (Mathers Museum of World Cultures) Janice Frisch (Indiana University Press) Matthew Hale (Indiana University Folklore and Ethnomusicology, Communication and Culture) Carrie Hertz (Museum of International Folk Art) Hannah Rawcliffe Jenness (Indiana University Informatics) Teri Klassen (Mathers Museum of World Cultures) Kristin Otto (Indiana University Anthropology) Jodine Perkins (The University of British Columbia) Emily Buhrow Rogers (Indiana University Anthropology) Daniel Swan (Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History) Lijun Zhang (Anthropology Museum of Guangxi )
Dan Suslak (Indiana University Department of Anthropology) Michael Wilkerson (Indiana University Program in Arts Administration)
Consulting Curators Jennifer Goodlander (Theatre, Drama, and Contemporary Dance) Pravina Shukla (Folklore and Ethnomusicology) Graduate Assistants Emily Bryant (Indiana University Department of Folklore and Ethnomusicology) Fatjona Hasani (Indiana University Program in Arts Administration) Amanda Hutchins (Indiana University Program in Arts Administration) Micah Ling (Indiana University Department of Folklore and Ethnomusicology) Evangeline Mee (Indiana University Department of Folklore and Ethnomusicology) Katlin Suiter (Indiana University Program in Arts Administration) Dominick Tartaglia (Indiana University Department of Folklore and Ethnomusicology)
Ed Comentale (Office of the Vice Provost for Research) Theresa Harley-Wilson (Mathers Museum of World Cultures) Jason Baird Jackson (Mathers Museum of World Cultures) A research center of the Office of the Vice Provost for Research at Indiana University Bloomington, the Mathers Museum of World Cultures is an American Alliance of Museums-accredited institution offering research and training oppo rtunities for IU students, educational support and services for IU faculty and elementary/ secondary school teachers, and family-friendly exhibits and programs.
Policy Committee Eric Sandweiss, Chair (Indiana University Department of History) Gabrielle A. Berlinger (University of North Carolina) Deb Christiansen (Indiana University School of Art, Architecture, and Design) Vivian Halloran (Indiana University Departments of English and American Studies) Marion Frank-Wilson (Indiana University Libraries) Michael Paul Jordan (Texas Tech University) Rowland Ricketts (Indiana University School of Art, Architecture, and Design)
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Ex officio
On the cover
Detail from Bloomington Courthouse Square, looking northwest. Charles Gilbert Shaw, 1922.
Themester 2018: “Animals, Art, and Culture” programs In conjunction with IU’s Themester 2018. Animal/Human (organized and sponsored by the College of Arts and Sciences) the Mathers Museum of World Cultures will present “Shapes of the Ancestors: Bodies, Animals, Art, and Ghanaian Fantasy Coffins.” The exhibit will open Tuesday, August 14. Curated by MMWC Research Associate and Ph.D student (Anthropology) Kristin Otto, this research-based exhibit will explore the historical development and contemporary usage of these figurative coffins, focusing specifically on those created by master carver Paa Joe. One of the uses of these coffins is the communication of identity, both cultural and personal. One key theme within the exhibit explores the way these forms, which are quite often in the shape of animals, communicate familial and personal attributes, values, or identity.
A miniature Ghanaian fantasy coffin, featured in “Shapes of the Ancestors: Bodies, Animals, Art, and Ghanaian Fantasy Coffins.”
Along with the exhibit, a series of related programs (below) will explore the theme of “Animals, Art, and Culture.” The exhibit and programs are sponsored by Themester 2018, an initiative of the IU College of Arts and Sciences. All programs will be free and open to the public.
Curator’s Talk and Reception Thursday, August 30; 4:30 to 5:15 p.m. Exhibit curator, Kristin Otto, will discuss the form and function of the fantasy coffin, emphasizing the place of animal forms in the repertoire. Like the exhibition, her remarks draw upon research undertaken in Ghana with Paa Joe and members of his workshop. Artists’ Visit and Reception Sunday, September 16; 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. The museum will host a reception in honor of renowned fantasy coffin carver Paa Joe. Film: Paa Joe and the Lion (at IU Cinema) Sunday, September 16; 4 p.m. Explores the work of Paa Joe, known as the “Grandfather of the Ghanaian fantasy coffin movement.” Family Craft Day Sunday, December 2; 2 to 3:30 p.m. Join us for an afternoon of crafting animal puppets.
Center for Rural Engagement (cont.) committed, as we have been since our founding, to also providing accurate portrayals of Indiana cultures and histories to all of those who cross the globe and cross the state to visit our campus for study, research, and general interest. Our work in, on, and with Indiana communities intensified further in 2015 when Traditional Arts Indiana became a constituent program of the museum. As the Provost noted in her State of the Campus address this year, the collaborative research and programing work of Traditional Arts Indiana “beautifully embodies our campus commitment to improving the well-being of all people in our region.” Like we do, she sees the ongoing work of TAI as a vital part of the larger Center for Rural Engagement initiative. When the plans for the Center were still being developed, we made a commitment to focus the upcoming work of TAI on the eleven county southwest central Indiana region. That work formally began this summer with funding support from the National Endowment for the Arts. Jon Kay and a large team of museum graduate students are undertaking survey fieldwork in the region, identifying seniors who are carrying forward local artistic and cultural traditions and who might be willing to join in community-based programs and activities. Such surveys have been the beginning of many past TAI programs and partnerships throughout the state, but the eleven counties closest to our campus have not previously been the focus of such work. Like other recent initiatives, the current survey work pays particular attention to quality of life issues and to special circumstances facing aging Hoosiers and rural communities. We are engaged with the region in other ways also. In partnership with the campus’ Arts and Humanities Council and the Center, we are also developing a traveling exhibition focused on Indiana’s folk and traditional arts that can be presented in community venues throughout the eleven-county region. Building on our existing Rotating Exhibition Network exhibitions presented at libraries throughout the region and state, this larger exhibition will help connect us more meaningful with individuals and community groups throughout the area. Those connections will surely grow into new partnerships, new relationships, and new programs. As reflected in the new Kids Curate exhibition now on display at the museum, we are also engaging with students and classroom teachers in our region in new ways that combine outreach, partnership, research, and service in ways to enhance the lives of our neighbors, from the youngest to the oldest. Jason Baird Jackson, Director Page 3—Summer 2018
Bob Taylor, whose work is featured in “Creative Aging.”
“Creative Aging” celebration Creative Aging Closing Program and Reception Friday, July 20; 3 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. The work of elder artists and the exploration of the importance of stories and storytelling in the lives of older adults will be highlighted in “Creative Aging Closing Program and Reception.” Several of the featured artists in the exhibition “Creative Aging” (closing July 27) will be on hand to show and discuss their creative projects. The free event will also feature a ukulele performance of elders from Bell Trace; a narrative stage with artists Marian Sykes, Jenny Kander, Bob Taylor, and Bill Root; and a special remembrance of local elder James Yang, whose work is included in the exhibition.
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Mathers Museum Summer 2018 exhibits “Cameroon Tobacco Pipes: Shared Museum Knowledge” This exhibition presents a collection of carved wood tobacco smoking pipes from the Cameroon Grasslands, produced by the Bamileke peoples and their neighbors, that offer a glimpse into the aesthetics, values, and traditions of the area. The exhibit will close 7/27/2018.
“Creative Aging” This exhibition explores the making and use of memory art in the lives of older adults in the U.S. Some elders use their creations to assist in recalling and sharing important life stories. Others use these works to elicit interest, facilitate personal narratives, and share beliefs and values. The exhibit will be on display through 7/27/2018. “Heads and Tales” Produced in conjunction with the Elizabeth Sage Historic Costume Collection, this exhibit investigates all things worn, styled, and associated with the human head. Looking cross-culturally at different topics including status and religion, the exhibit will feature hats, wigs, and hairstyles. The exhibit will be on display through 12/16/2018. “Kids Curate, Kids Create” “Kids Curate, Kids Create” is a collaboration between the students in the K-6 classroom at Templeton Elementary School and the Mathers Museum of World Cultures to explore ways in which objects could generate interest in learning about other people and their cultures. The exhibit opens May 23, and will be on display through 12/16/2018. “Memories Shared: Photographs of Historic Bloomington” Bloomington has changed significantly in the past 100 years, but many places remain in some shape or form. This photo essay will explore a few of these places through historic photos and you’re invited to share your memories of them. “Memories Shared: Photographs of Historic Bloomington” will be on display through 7/27/2018. “Show and Tell--Making Craft at the John C. Campbell Folk School” Curated by Kelley D. Totten, a recent Ph.D. graduate in Folklore at Indiana University, this exhibit looks at contemporary craft through the lens of the John C. Campbell Folk School, located in Brasstown, North Carolina. The exhibit will be on display through 7/27/2018. “A Snapshot of Pakistan, 1965: The Madge Minton Collection” On her 1965 trip to Pakistan, WASP pilot and herpetologist Madge Minton arrived with funding from the IU Museum (today the Mathers Museum of World Cultures) and a mission to collect objects used in everyday life. The exhibit will be on display through 12/16/2018. “Thoughts, Things, and Theories...What Is Culture?” “Thoughts, Things, and Theories...What Is Culture?” explores the nature of culture. The exhibit is ongoing.
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Visiting the Mathers Museum The Mathers Museum of World Cultures is located at 416 N. Indiana Avenue, Bloomington, Indiana. Admission to the museum is free. The museum will be closed for the IU Summer Session Break fro Saturday, July 28 through Monday, August 13. The exhibition hall and Museum Store will re-open on Tuesday, August 14. Durng normal hours of operations the exhibition hall and Museum Store are open Tuesdays through Fridays, from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; and Saturdays and Sundays, from 1 to 4:30 p.m. Free and accessible visitor parking is available by the Indiana Avenue lobby entrance. Metered parking is available at the McCalla School parking lot on the corner of Ninth Street and Indiana Avenue. The parking lot also has spaces designated for Indiana University EM-P, EM-S, and ST permits. During the weekends free parking is available on the surrounding streets. An access ramp is available at the southwest corner of North Fess Avenue and Ninth Street, at the entrance to the Glenn A. Black Laboratory of Archaeology. If you have a dsiability and need assistance, arrangements can be made to accommodate most needs. Please call 812-855-6873 for directions and assistance. For more information, please call 812-855-6873, email mathers@indiana.edu, or visit our website at mathersmuseum.indiana.edu.
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