News
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Steve Christensen
LUMA
312.915.6164
schris6@luc.edu
Stories in Cloth and After the Flood Open to the Public on May 21
CHICAGO, May 10, 2011– The Loyola University Museum of Art (LUMA) is welcoming two new exhibitions to its galleries for the summer, Stories in Cloth: The Threads of Daily Life and After the Flood: Eklavya Prasad’s Photographs of Life in North Bihar, India. Both exhibitions will open to the public on May 21, run through July 31, 2011, and feature a variety of public programs to complement the works on display.
Stories in Cloth: The Threads of Daily Life
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Dr. May Weber, a well-known and long-time collector of ethnographic art and artifacts, will bring more than 100 examples of featured textiles from all over the world to LUMA this summer. The exhibition demonstrates the ways in which textiles are fundamental to a range of cultural practices: from everyday clothing to costumes and ritual attire and from wall-hangings to prayer rugs. By calling attention to a variety of the world’s textile traditions, Stories in Cloth encompasses the range of meanings and uses that textiles can have.
The exhibition investigates production methods; materials; and social, cultural, and ritual significance to arrive at a fuller understanding of the dynamic role of textiles in society. Among the cultures represented are those of China, India, Japan, the Middle East, the Iberian Peninsula, Africa, North America, and South America.
After the Flood: Eklavya Prasad’s Photographs of Life in North Bihar, India
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Made possible via a collaboration with Loyola University Chicago’s School of Social Work, After the Flood features vivid photographs of people living in rural India taken by artist and activist Eklavya Prasad. The shots were taken while Prasad led his Megh Pyn Abhiyan (Cloud Water Campaign), a grassroots campaign to supply safe and secure drinking water to the flood-prone areas in north Bihar, India. Prasad has worked for more than 15 years as an activist and a photographer with rural communities to solve various social problems.
The images on display at LUMA capture the complexity and beauty of the human spirit. Prasad’s work depicts the strength, determination, and the vivacity of the people who have survived the floodwaters.
"Stories in Cloth and After the Flood are compelling exhibitions that will transport our visitors to another world," says Ann Meehan, curator of education at LUMA. "They’ll have the opportunity to learn about textiles from across the globe and then also witness how lives are transformed through an important grassroots campaign in India."
Public Programs:
Opening Reception
Friday, May 20 from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Free for members and $15 for non-members
Don't miss the official opening of Stories in Cloth: The Threads of Daily Life and After the Flood: Eklavya Prasad's Photographs of Life in North Bihar, India. All are welcome to attend.
Uses of Media for Grassroots Change: Bihar, India
Wednesday, May 25 at 5:30 p.m.
Free for LUMA members and $4 for non-members
Join us for a conversation between artist Eklavya Prasad and social work researcher Shweta Singh as they discuss development work in Bihar, India. Highlighting photographs from
After the Flood, Prasad and Singh will discuss the role of grassroots organizations like Megh Pyne Abhiyan, which focus on women and rural communities.
The Kimono: Its Evolving Use and Meaning
Tuesday, June 14 at 6 p.m.
Free for LUMA members and $4 for non-members
Dr. Janet Fair, who teaches Japanese at Loyola University Chicago, will discuss the evolving use and meaning of the kimono in Japanese society. Beginning with the traditional styles and significance in court culture, the lecture will trace the development of the kimono into the modern era and examine its changing relevance in Japan.
Meet the Collector
Tuesday, June 21 at 6 p.m.
Free Admission
Collector Dr. May Weber will lead a walk-through of Stories in Cloth: Threads of Daily Life and focus on the significance and beauty of textiles from all over the world and her experiences as a collector of these works.
Archiving Detritus
Tuesday, July 12 at 6 p.m.
Free for LUMA members and $4 for non-members
Join us for an evening with contemporary fiber artist, teacher, writer, Franciscan friar, and Catholic priest Jerry Bleem. In his work and in this lecture, Father Bleem examines the cultural construction of meaning by looking at what we throw away.
Please RSVP for these events by sending an e-mail to luma@luc.edu or by calling 312.915.7608. All events will be held at LUMA, 820 N. Michigan Avenue, Chicago, Illinois.
Image Credits:
Child's Cradle (detail), Anatolia (modern-day Turkey), Collection of Dr. May Weber
Eklavya Prasad, Food for Survival, 2008
About LUMA
Opened in 2005, the Loyola University Museum of Art is dedicated to exploring, promoting, and understanding art and artistic expression that illuminates the enduring spiritual questions of all cultures and societies. As a museum with an interest in education and educational programming, LUMA reflects the University’s Jesuit mission and is dedicated to helping people of all creeds explore the roots of their faith and spiritual quests. Located at Loyola University Chicago’s Water Tower Campus, the museum occupies the first three floors of the University’s historic Lewis Towers on Chicago’s famous Michigan Avenue. For more information, visit the museum’s website at LUC.edu/luma.
Art illuminating the spirit!
-LUMA-
