Campbell Gallery Exhibit: “The Transforming Arts of Papua New Guinea”

• Event Date: Tuesday, September 1, 2009–Friday, January 1, 2010
• Time: During regular museum hours (CDT)
• Location: Campbell Gallery, Spurlock Museum, 600 S. Gregory St., Urbana, IL
• Cost: Free Admission

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Papua New Guinea, a Pacific Island nation-state, is home to a remarkable diversity of grand artistic traditions. This exhibition, featuring artifacts from the Museum's own collections, explores the arts of several regions, and illustrates over half a century of change in design, media, and audience. Of special significance is discussion of artistic developments sparked by the country's independence in 1975. Visitors to the exhibit are introduced to the artistic traditions of Papua New Guinea and the ways that familiar emblems of community distinction are used and transformed to present provocative aesthetic commentary on the cultural, political, and economic struggles of an emerging nation.

The Spurlock Museum’s changing exhibits are made possible through a gift from Allan C. and Marlene S. Campbell and supported in part by the Illinois Arts Council, a state agency.