The Daily Campus

Issue date: 6/12/06 Section: News

Media Credit: Megan Reynolds A Native American exhibit is being shown at Homer Babbidge Library.

The daylong celebration of Native American Culture featured in the exhibit at Homer Babbidge Library seeks to communicate that ancient traditions are very much alive today, according to the library's marketing and communications specialist Suzanne Zack.

According to Zack, inspiration for the Native American exhibit, titled "Enduring Spirit," came from library colleague Bob Fall, the material storage supervisor. Fall, who is very interested and involved in the Native American culture, communicated with his friend, artist Sylvia Bertolini, about displaying her work at the library.

Next, the library looked toward resources on campus to contribute to the exhibit. The Connecticut State Museum of Natural History and Connecticut Archaeology Center, located on the UConn campus, agreed to lend related pieces to the exhibit.

According to Catalog Management and Federal Documents Supervisor Jane Recchio, as more Native American artwork was found, it became clear that although the traditional artistic spirit may have changed, it is "alive and well and continues today."

Because most people are unaware of the expanse of Native American artwork, Recchio said, "We've stumbled into this parallel universe." She called the exhibit a learning experience for the library.

As for the involvement of the museum, "it's a collaboration," Recchio said. "[It gives them the] opportunity to exhibit items that they don't have the space to exhibit."

Cheri Collins, program coordinator and collection manager at the Connecticut State Museum of Natural History and Connecticut Archaeology Center, said the exhibit currently on display at the museum seeks to express the changing attitudes about collecting artifacts over time.

"Archaeology became more scientific," Collins said. People today are more interested in the context of the objects, the "story about [the] culture of people."

The "Enduring Spirit" exhibit at the library will be more art-centered, according to Collins. The library is borrowing materials from the museum's collection, "just a teeny tiny fraction," said Collins, of the total pieces owned by the museum, Collins said.

One artist collection that the library will borrow from is the Norris L. Bull Collection.

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