Special Collections Spring Exhibition
This post was written by Natalia Ramirez, Fall 2024 Special Collections & University Archives Intern.
Aiming to highlight the diverse range of rare books that the University of Mary Washington’s Special Collections and Archives has to offer, this exhibition explores the art history collection, providing a global survey from prehistory to contemporary time periods. Spanning from the Americas, Asia, Arabia, Europe, and North Africa, these books seek to highlight the diverse styles, materials, and contents, while also exemplifying the global interconnectedness throughout history. Taking a chronological approach, this exhibition acknowledges the limitations of historical periodization, while appreciating the groundwork for historical understanding that has been laid.
This exhibition, displayed conveniently right outside the Special Collections and Archives’ doors in the Simpson Library, was curated by student Art History major Natalia Ramirez, class of Spring 2025. Supervised by Angie Kemp, the creation of this exhibition spanned the entire Fall 2024 semester, and came together with the Special Collections team as a whole. Excitingly, this exhibition will remain on view until the end of this Spring semester in April, and has an accompanying digital and printed catalog available to the public.
This exhibition has been curated to survey a global Art History utilizing the University of Mary Washington’s collections. For background on its contents, throughout history, a broad range of materials have been used by the hands and minds of innumerable artists to create physical representations of values, ideas, and the worlds around them. Documenting even a fraction of these works in edited collections, facsimiles, and commentary literature has contributed to their preservation and broadening education. Many of these books which document creative histories become part of the creative history themselves, serving as ‘signs of the times’ for the state of art literature since the dawn of written documentation.
This collection’s objects date back as early as the mid-Medieval period (approximately 500 CE through 1400 CE), with original Arabic papyrus inscriptions and Latin illuminated manuscript fragments. These pieces, along with many others show that written artifacts can be appreciated and displayed as artworks for their creative cultural contributions. From linen rag, papyrus, parchment, and vellum, this exhibition’s paper variety exemplifies the range of printing materials and methods that have been used in different places and at different times.
“Absolutely stunning work! The art pieces are captivating, and the curator’s vision shines through in how thoughtfully the collection is presented. It’s clear that every detail has been carefully considered, creating a truly immersive experience. A masterclass in both artistry and curation!”