LAWRENCE — KU Libraries will feature a new student-curated exhibition, “Travel, Tourism, and the Transmission of Knowledge in and Around Japan,” with an opening reception planned at 3:30 p.m. Sept. 3 in Kenneth Spencer Research Library’s exhibit gallery.
Created by University of Kansas students in the Kress Foundation Department of Art History spring seminar “Manuscripts, Maps, and Illustrated Books,” the new exhibition examines how knowledge — from the scientific to the spiritual and even the outlandish — was shared through centuries of travel, tourism and the circulation of books and manuscripts in Japan and beyond.
“I think visitors will be surprised by the breadth of materials on display that all reflect different forms of travel and cross-cultural contact, touching upon how others viewed Japan, how Japanese people viewed others, and how Japanese people viewed their own identity in a global context,” said Eve Wolynes, Spencer Library special collections curator.
The exhibition features materials dating from 1646 to 1936, showcasing works from the Spencer Library’s collections, including a wide range of materials from woodblock prints, maps, religious artifacts and ephemera, to beer advertisements and tourism booklets. Highlights include materials once collected by Kate Hansen, a Kansas missionary and music teacher who lived in Japan during the early 20th century.
The show was curated by 10 graduate students from KU’s history of art department. Yuan-Hsi Chao, Brady Cullen, Aria Diao, Shangyi Lyu, Olivia Song, Emma Smith, Rebekah Staton, Heeryun Suh, Eli Troen and Morgan Williamson worked under the guidance of Sherry Fowler, professor of Japanese art history, in collaboration with Wolynes.
“I have been enjoying showing my students resources from the Spencer Research Library for years. This exhibition experience was so much richer,” Fowler said. “The great part about a collaboration like this is the synergy created by collective experiences, which one person working alone could not accomplish. With staff guidance, it was wonderful for me to learn alongside students about the special features of a library exhibit.”
The exhibit, organized around five thematic sections, explores the transmission of knowledge across physical and cultural boundaries, considers cultural encounters between East and West, and reflects upon how people in and around Japan imagined their place in the world.
The Sept. 3 opening event is free and open to the public. Visitors will have the opportunity to meet student curators, learn about their work and view the exhibition, which runs through the fall semester.
“Working with the students has been a fantastic experience,” Wolynes said. “Exhibits are complicated beasts with many moving parts, and integrating students into curation gives them a deeper, richer understanding of primary sources, historical analysis and public engagement.”
Parking is available in the Mississippi Street Garage (1261 Oread Ave.) For more information about the exhibit, visit the Spencer Library website.
AloJapan.com