MINE: What Is Ours in the Wake of Extraction

On view in Mechanical Hall Gallery from September 3 through December 13, 2024, and February 4 through May 15, 2025

The Amazon is on the brink of collapsing, and with it, Indigenous cultures and lands are at risk of disappearing. Over the past 20 years, the Harakbut Indigenous community from the Madre de Dios region in the Peruvian Amazon has been devastated by a gold mining boom. This boom is a result of the egregious demand for gold used in phones, electronics and jewelry, which is largely driven by Western consumer habits. The mining has led to immense pollution of the air, land and water; deforestation; disease; human trafficking; drug smuggling; disparate economies; and an all-too-real danger of losing the culture and traditional ecological knowledge of the Harakbut and other tribes.

In this exhibition, visitors can become part of the solution by learning about the Harakbut culture through the works of the Etochime Artist Collective. The collective’s artworks speak to Indigenous worldviews and the disastrous impact the extractive industries have had on their land and people. The exhibition will also feature specimens from the Mineralogical Museum known as conflict minerals – mined resources that contribute to environmental harm and are frequently used to finance armed conflict and human rights abuses – as well as a juried selection of 10 artworks from around the globe, emphasizing that these issues aren’t only happening in and affecting the Amazon.

The exhibition is presented in collaboration with The ACEER Foundation, Amazon Aid, AWA and Studio Verde.

Mechanical Hall Gallery is open Tuesday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Sight, Sound and Motion: The Dimensions of Sculpture

On view in Old College Gallery from September 3 through December 13, 2024

Sculpture activates the senses in different ways than two-dimensional art forms. As three-dimensional objects, sculpture invites us to interact with each piece from various angles and perspectives. Our own motion changes what and how we see and experience the artworks, revealing new insights around every bend.

In this exhibition, visitors will explore the breadth and variety of the University’s sculpture collection alongside paintings, photographs and works on paper that speak to the art form of sculpture. Among the materials on view are sculptures that move and create sound as well as works by well-known sculptors, including Jeff Koons, Harry Bertoia, Selma Hortense Burke, Hayward L. Oubre Jr., George Grey Barnard and William Zorach.

Old College Gallery is open Tuesday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Sculptural Copper Saved from the Smelter

On view in the Mineralogical Museum in Penny Hall from September 3 through December 13, 2024

Copper was essential to building America in the 19th century. Before it could be used in trains and other steam engines or in electrical wiring, copper had to be mined from rocks and smelted – extracted from its ore by heating and melting. As a result, many experienced European miners came to America in the 1800s to work in areas rich with copper mines, like Keweenaw County in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. These miners, who worked by hand, would keep fine specimens from their discoveries for their own collections.

In this exhibition, visitors will explore an array of copper specimens that these miners collected over the years. The copper on view has been sculpted by nature, with each specimen strangely and beautifully unique.

The Mineralogical Museum is open Tuesday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

What They Saved: Souvenirs and Mementos in Special Collections

On view in Special Collections Gallery in Morris Library from August 27, 2024, through May 23, 2025

An heirloom from a loved one, a keepsake from a first date, a souvenir from a road trip – the things we save say a lot about us and our lived experiences. As with these mementos, the objects and materials within Special Collections help to preserve the memories and experiences of the individuals represented in our collections.

In this exhibition, visitors will explore keepsakes from the collection, learning about the people who held onto them and the reasons why. From hats and handkerchiefs to dolls and dog tags, the mementos on view are imbued with personal meaning and connection while providing insights into histories, events, celebrations and celebrities of days gone by. 

The Special Collections Gallery is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The Stakes Are Too High: Voting, Civic Engagement and Political Participation

On view in Morris Library’s Information Room from September 9 through December 13, 2024

“The stakes are too high for government to be a spectator sport,” said the late Barbara Jordan, the first African American woman elected to Congress from the state of Texas. Today, voting in the presidential election is every American’s right, but doing so is only one facet of what it means to be an active and engaged citizen. There are 1,460 days between presidential elections, and countless discussions and decisions on important matters are made in between.

In this exhibition, visitors will gain insight into how and why they need to stay civically engaged in between election days. Through government documents, informational pamphlets, flyers, campaign buttons, scrapbooks and other historical materials, the exhibition explores the topics of voter education, voter participation, voter registration and civic engagement.

The exhibition can be viewed during Morris Library’s operating hours.

The Rail-Splitter Surprise: Abraham Lincoln and the Presidential Election of 1860

On view in the Lincoln Exhibition Case in Morris Library from August 27 through December 13, 2024

Abraham Lincoln wasn’t always the beloved household name he is today. In the 1860 presidential election, Lincoln was an underdog in a crowded field of better-known Republican candidates attempting to earn their party’s nomination. With compelling speeches about his platform, photographs and stories that introduced him to the country, and a “Rail Splitter” nickname that drew on his humble roots, Lincoln defied expectations when he won the Republican nomination and the national contest in November.

In this exhibition, visitors will discover how Lincoln emerged as a viable presidential candidate to lead the nation during a period of divisiveness that would result in the Civil War. Materials on view include editorial cartoons, contemporary political speeches, campaign literature, and portraiture of Lincoln from the 1860 election season.

The exhibition can be viewed during Morris Library’s operating hours.