Community Members enjoying the exhibit. (Photo Grace Jurchak/The Gettysburgian)
By Ella Prieto, Editor-in-Chief
On Wednesday, Dec. 3, students in Art History 214, “Putting on a Show: Exhibition, Curation and Methods in Art History,” gave a gallery talk for their exhibit “Images of Women in Art” from 4-6 p.m. in Schmucker Art Gallery. The class of fourteen worked throughout the semester on this exhibit under the guidance of Chairperson and Professor of Art and Art History Yan Sun.
Art History 214 Professor Yan Sun introducing her students to the audience. (Photo Grace Jurchak/The Gettysburgian)
Interim Director of Schmucker Art Gallery Sarah Kate Gillespie began the gallery talk in recognition of the hard work the students put into this project, and congratulated Sun for another great semester of teaching this course.
“Through readings and case studies, students learn varying theories within the field, and simultaneously use what they’ve learned to curate an exhibition as a group,” explained Gillespie. “It is a demanding course, but also one that is deeply satisfying, as students have the opportunity to gain hands-on experience with objects in Special Collections, and also with the practical details of curating a show.”
She also thanked those who helped make the show possible, including Director of Special Collections Carolyn Sautter, Assistant Director of Research and Access Services for Musselman Library Meggan Smith, Director of Creative Services Marc Belli, Peer-Learning-Assistant for the class Mathea Linden ’27, Academic Coach John Kovaleski for his work on installing the artwork and Art and Art History Administrative Assistant Leslie Casteel.
Background on the exhibit provided in pamphlets handed out informed that it is composed of fourteen selected artworks from Gettysburg College’s Special Collections, spanning from the 1800s to the 1990s. The works explore how women have been represented in different times and cultures, drawing from both Eastern and Western traditions. Notably, it “invites viewers to consider how artistic conventions, evolving social values and cultural hierarchies have shaped perceptions of women and the power dynamics embedded in their portrayal. “
A highlight from the exhibit was “Xi Wang Mu”, translated to the Queen Mother of the West, presented by Molly Bogart ’27. She explained that this small statuette is carved from the common medium of Chalcedony during the Qing dynasty.
Molly Boggart ’27 presenting on her selected art, “Xi Wang Mu.” (Photo Grace Jurchak/The Gettysburgian)
“‘Xi Wang Mu’, a Daoist deity of the Chinese pantheon, has undergone many transformations throughout history,” shared Bogart. “Seen as a symbol of immortality and mediator between the divine and mortal worlds, she was widely worshiped across dynasties.”
An example of women in art from the Western World was showcased by William Oehler ’26, featuring his selected piece of an advertisement for the play “Gigolette” at the Ambigou Comique, a local theater. Drawn by Albert Guillaume during the “La Belle Époque” (The Beautiful Age) in Paris, this poster exemplifies the societal position women held in France in the late 1800s to market consumerist goods.
Art History 214 Student William Oehler ’26 explaining his selected art to community members. (Photo Grace Jurchak/The Gettysburgian)
“Women were disproportionately the active marketing tool in posters, making them both the symbol of desire and the driver of capitalism and consumerism,” stated Oehler.
After student presentations, the audience was encouraged to explore the works on their own and ask questions to the student curators.
Plaque listing the students involved in curating the exhibition. (Photo Grace Jurchak/The Gettysburgian)
