In honor of 150 years of proud Carleton history, The Perlman Teaching Museum at the Weitz Center brings on an ongoing exhibition INDEPENDENCE OF THOUGHT: An Unfolding Story 1866-2016 in its Braucher Gallery from Sept. 23 to Nov. 16, 2016.
With each era defining a space in the museum, this student-curated exhibition brings past student experience alive by highlighting five distinct eras of the college’s history through immersive displays comprised of period objects, photographs, publications and audio echoes from the past as well as infographics created by students.
During spring term 2016, members of Professor Gary Vikan(’67)’s The Art of Exhibition class conceived Independence of Thought to show how Carleton students lived, grew and expressed themselves over time, centering around the years 1890, 1918, 1942, 1971, and 2001. During the same term, students in Professor Bill North’s Carleton in the Archives course explored Carleton’s institutional memory and culture through quantitative and qualitative analysis of all aspects of the college’s existence. Infographics, scrapbooks, and slide shows they produced to help make sense of college history and culture across time forms an exhibition within an exhibition.
“We hope to illustrate the core values of the college that have endured and expanded through time: intellectual curiosity, commitment to community, a sense of humor, willingness to work hard, a lack of pretentiousness, optimism, and, above all, independence of thought.”
— Student Curators
If you are interested in knowing more about the making process of this exhibition, you can attend the Sesquicentennial Showcase: Teaching Museum Reception (Friday, Oct. 14th, 7:00-9:00pm, Weitz Center Commons) where student curators and researchers who developed it will be on hand to share their experiences or The Making of a Sesquicentennial Exhibition (Saturday, Oct. 15th, 11:10am-12:10pm, Olin 141), where Professor Vikan will reflect on the process and involving students will speak about their roles and their experiences encountering Carleton in this way.
Exhibition curators (enrolled in ARTH 278): Hunter Brown, Sophie Buchmueller, Samantha Carter, Elsa Cristofaro, Emily Kampa, Jaqueline Liu, Sara McAuliffe, Alexandra Mishaan, Jenny Nguyen, Hallie Ojala-Barrett, Evie Rosenberg, Camille Sanchez, Lia Seraydarian, and Alice Zavelsky
Researchers (enrolled in History 215): Takuya Amagai, Jack Atterberry, Sam Blackburn, Lindsay N. Brandt, Marielle Foster, Madeline Geitz, Carrie Hanson, Brian Herlihy, Rinya Kamber, Nora Katz, Willa Langworthy, Jerry Liu, Evan Olawsky, Jeff Rosen, Michael Schneekloth, Chris Shoemaker, Dana W. Spencer, Justice A. TenEyck, and Catie Williams
Faculty mentor: Gary Vikan ’67, Benedict Distinguished Visiting Professor of Art History and former director, Walters Art Gallery, Balitmore
Guest video composer: Charles Lutvak