Provenance and Possibility
Ellis Library Colonnade
November and December 2018

“Provenance and Possibility” is a student showcase exhibiting creative works completed by students enrolled in the Honors Tutorial during Fall 2018, GN_HON 1050H, “Get Real, Go Places! Let Objects Take You There.” The eight-week course takes as its focus the study of material culture, specifically the opportunities for research that objects and artifacts make possible. Students are introduced to the practice of interpreting, inspecting, and writing about objects through regular use of a sketchbook journal and weekly syntheses shared with classmates. The course is taught by Dr. Sarah Buchanan of the iSchool at the University of Missouri (in the College of Education) and by gallery, library, archive, and museum professionals based on the Mizzou campus who belong to the Material Culture Studies Group, established in 2014.

Our student showcase features 49 art objects created by 14 undergraduate students, each based on the class visit to a particular collection on the Columbia campus. Students created weekly syntheses reflecting on their visit and a culminating analysis of specific objects appealing to students’ future academic interests.

On display here are embroidery inspired by Native American designs at the Museum of Anthropology, calligraphy and poetry based on Leonardo da Vinci’s typographic letters in Special Collections and Rare Books, origami and an architectural room model inspired by John Schneider’s recent “Battle Folds” thesis exhibition in the Bingham Art Gallery, a photograph compilation of the Mizzou Botanic Garden and the work of Sustain Mizzou Beekeeping, and drawing inspired by Rose O’Neill’s (1874-1994) famous Kewpies in the State Historical Society of Missouri, among others. Complementing the student work is a 1960s vinyl skirt from the Missouri Historic Costume and Textile Collection. For their contributions to the success of the course we gratefully thank: Catherine Armbrust, Alex Barker, Cathy Callaway, Blair Crosby and Buck’s Ice Cream, Chris Daniggelis, John Fifield, Kelli Hansen, Nicole Johnston, John Konzal, Maggie Mayhan, Pete Millier, Candace Sall, John Schneider, Karlan Seville and Joan Stack.

The course will next be offered in Fall 2019 – join us!