News

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Media Contact:
Evangeline Politis
Communication Specialist
312.915.6324
epolitis@luc.edu

CHICAGO, February 9, 2017—Loyola University Museum of Art (LUMA) welcomes three new exhibitions this spring: Peter Gelker: Whirligigs; Wayang: The Art of Indonesian Puppetry; and Steve Schapiro: Misericordia: Together We Celebrate. The exhibitions are now on display and run through Saturday, June 3.

Wayang: The Art of Indonesian Puppetry

Enjoyed by both adults and children, puppet shows are drawn from the mythologies of diverse cultural traditions in Southeast Asia. The exhibition is curated from Loyola University Chicago’s May Weber Ethnographic Collection, which consists of approximately 2,500 pieces of ethnographic art collected in the mid- to late-twentieth century by Weber, a Chicago-based psychiatrist. It features characters from two of Indonesia’s expressive cultural traditions: “wayang kulit” (shadow puppets) and “wayang golèk” (rod puppets). The puppets are highly stylized, intricately fashioned—shadow puppets are projected through the tiniest perforations— and boldly painted. 

Loyola undergraduate students enrolled in Internship in Anthropology: Museum Studies, a course offered in the anthropology department within the College of Arts and Sciences, had the opportunity to assist in assembling the exhibition throughout the fall 2016 semester.

“This has been a wonderful opportunity for a nice partnership between our department, this collection, and LUMA,” said Catherine Nichols, PhD, a lecturer in the Department of Anthropology and the instructor of the course Internship in Anthropology: Museum Studies. “Many of these objects have been displayed in museums before, but now our students have the opportunity to become the curators.”

Peter Gelker: Whirligigs

Artist and psychologist Peter Gelker connects the worlds of folk art and psychoanalysis in this evocative exhibition featuring more than 20 handcrafted “whirligigs.”

Whirligigs are hand-turned or winddriven devices that revolve in a cycle and function as either a toy, a work of art, an object of amusement, or a kinetic garden ornament. Continuing in a tradition that has existed for more than 500 years, this second-generation whirligig artisan hand carves and paints these psychologically charged works focusing on political structures, religious beliefs, social relations, and mythology.

Steve Schapiro: Misericordia: Together We Celebrate

Started nearly a century ago on Chicago’s South Side by the Sisters of Mercy, Misericordia meets the needs of more than 600 individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Loyola has been a longtime partner of the organization, placing numerous students in internship and volunteer opportunities with Misericordia residents.

Internationally celebrated photographer and activist Steve Schapiro captures the daily life of the residents in this series of poignant photographs. From morning until night, residents are involved in activities that include working in a bakery, packaging coffee, creating artwork, learning on computers, dancing and singing, and playing sports. Photographs displayed in this exhibition are the subject of Schapiro’s most recent book, Misericordia: Together We Celebrate.

For more information on these exhibitions, visit LUC.edu/luma.

Public Programming

All events take place at LUMA, 820 North Michigan Avenue, Chicago, Illinois 60611.

Spring 2017 Exhibitions Opening Reception
Friday, February 10, 5:30–7:30 p.m.

Celebrate the opening of two of LUMA’s spring exhibitions: Peter Gelker: Whirligigs and Wayang: The Art of Indonesian Puppetry. Admission is $15 for the public and free for LUMA members and Loyola students, faculty, and staff.

Gallery Tour with Artist and Curator: Peter Gelker and Lynn Gamwell
Saturday, February 10, 1 p.m.

Join artist and psychoanalyst Peter Gelker and curator Lynn Gamwell for a gallery tour as they discuss the inspiration, motivation, and process of creating the unconventional whirligigs in the exhibition. The tour is free with admission.

Puppeteer Show
Saturday, February 25, 1–3 p.m.

LUMA will be hosting puppeteer Ngurah Kertayuda for a show in coordination with the Wayang: The Art of Indonesian Puppetry exhibition. The show is free with admission and cosponsored by the Department of Anthropology and Asian Studies Program. 

Misericordia Exhibition Opening Reception
Saturday, March 4, 1–3 p.m.

Join us for the opening of both Misericordia: Together We Celebrate by Steve Schapiro in the Harlan J. Berk Ltd. Works on Paper Gallery and Artists in All featuring works by residents of Misericordia in the Jean Morman Unsworth Art Expressways gallery. Meet the artists whose work is featured in the museum. The reception is free with admission.

Wayang Puppet Workshop
Saturday, April 1, 1–3 p.m.

Participants can make their own puppet inspired by the exhibition Wayang: The Art of Indonesian Puppetry. All supplies will be provided, and the workshop is free with admission.

About LUMA
Opened in 2005, the Loyola University Museum of Art is dedicated to exploring, promoting, and understanding art and artistic expression that illuminates the enduring spiritual questions of all cultures and societies. As a museum with an interest in education and educational programming, LUMA reflects the University’s Jesuit mission and is dedicated to helping people of all creeds explore the roots of their faith and spiritual quests. Located at Loyola University Chicago’s Water Tower Campus, the museum occupies the first three floors of the University’s historic Lewis Towers on Chicago’s famous Michigan Avenue. For more information, visit the museum’s website at LUC.edu/luma.

Art illuminating the spirit!

-LUMA-