Campus exhibitions
Photo illustration by Jeffrey C. Chase March 03, 2020
Galleries highlight Cuban posters, women’s suffrage, the Beat Generation and minerals
Four major exhibitions on the University of Delaware campus during spring semester will allow the community to explore the visual culture of Cuba through poster design, delve into Delaware’s history of women’s suffrage, discover the influence of the Beat Generation on the wider world, and view recent mineral discoveries from China.
Presented by Special Collections and Museums in the UD Library, Museums and Press, the exhibitions are located in gallery spaces across campus, including Mechanical Hall Gallery, the Special Collections Gallery in Morris Library, Old College Gallery and the Mineralogical Museum in Penny Hall.
Black with a Drop of Red: Contemporary Cuban Posters
Votes for Delaware Women: A Centennial Exhibition
Beat Visions and the Counterculture
Mineral Discoveries, Old Finds and New Mines
All exhibitions are free and open to the public.
Black with a Drop of Red: Contemporary Cuban Posters
On view in Mechanical Hall Gallery through May 15
In contemporary Cuba, posters are a major part of visual culture. Following the Cuban Revolution of 1959, poster designers experimented with visual vocabulary in order to articulate a complex visual language. In contrast with poster art produced in other countries, Cuban posters embrace an aesthetic that emphasizes the power of distilled imagery to convey the essence of an entire film or cultural event.
Whether promoting a film, honoring a cultural hero or announcing an event, the posters on view in this exhibition illustrate the vibrancy of contemporary Cuba. Visitors will find a large collection of posters created by Cuban artists for familiar films from the United States, including titles like Bonnie and Clyde, Silence of the Lambs and Modern Times.
Other posters on view reflect on the nature of life in the country; depict iconic aspects of Cuban culture; and address the confluence of diverse culture practices and struggles for equal rights for all Cubans.
Votes for Delaware Women: A Centennial Exhibition
On view in the Special Collections Gallery in Morris Library through June 15
In the spring of 1920, Delaware was thrust into the national political spotlight. The women’s suffrage amendment to the U.S. Constitution was one state shy of achieving ratification. One more positive vote would secure women’s constitutional right to full suffrage. Delaware, however, would not be the state to provide that crucial final vote.
Through this exhibition, explore Delaware’s ratification story, the decades-long organizing effort that shaped it, and the legacy of the 19th Amendment in the state. Visitors will view an array of unique materials — letters, petitions, sheet music, buttons, postcards and more — that weave together the many strands of Delaware’s suffrage story and its connections to national and international events.
This exhibition contributed to OUR VOTE, a three-semester teaching initiative for the UD community focused on the power of suffrage. Through events, courses and engagements, the initiative illuminates the impact of social justice advocacy, the democratic process, and laws that both advance and restrict rights of citizenship and political access nationally and worldwide.
Beat Visions and the Counterculture
On view in Old College Gallery through May 15
The Beat movement — beginning in the late 1940s and early 1950s — prized authenticity, spontaneity, spirituality and experience. Although not overtly political, the Beats challenged social norms and consistently provoked authority, pushing boundaries in both their lives and their art.
In this exhibition, visitors will explore the ideas and imagery of the Beat Generation, discovering how their experimental writings, artworks and other activities influenced the 1960s counterculture and beyond. On view, you’ll see rare and one-of-a-kind items ranging from handwritten notes to personal snapshots to a clipping of Allen Ginsberg’s beard.
In addition to the major Beat authors and visual artists associated with the movement, the exhibition also examines musicians, artists and activists from the 1960s — including Bob Dylan and the Beatles — whose personal and artistic ties to the Beats provided the inspiration to open up new spaces for creative freedom and political dissent.
Mineral Discoveries, Old Finds and New Mines
On view in the Mineralogical Museum in Penny Hall until May 15
Until the 1990s, mineral specimens mined in China weren’t available on the market and, even then, often were badly damaged. In recent years, the number, variety and quality of minerals in the country have increased.
Today, China has become a premier source of fine mineral specimens — many of which are on display in this exhibition. Those who visit will explore recently discovered minerals from China that are on loan from James Zigras.
In addition to the exhibition, minerals from the Permanent Collection are also on display. With the Irénée du Pont collection as its foundation, the Permanent Collection is rich in historic specimens, especially those that reflect the early mining of gem crystals in the United States and major finds from Europe.
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