DeKALB – With the beginning of another semester, the NIU Art Museum is presenting three astounding new exhibits which explore food for well-being, socialization and sustainability, among other things.
Located on the first floor of Altgeld Hall, each exhibit has its own type of displays.
Each exhibit features astounding and realistic visuals of meals and different interpretations of things involving food, from eating together with family to items used in cooking for religion or healing.
Shelby Edelmann, the program assistant of the NIU Art Museum, conveys why the theme of the exhibits is specifically around food.
“It was something that we felt a lot of people could relate to,” Edelmann said. “It is something that unites us all and is some of our first memories as people. Food is usually associated with positive memories, but it can also be a contentious topic.”
FOOD FOR THE SOUL: BELIEF AND HEALING IN BURMA
“Food For the Soul: Belief and Healing in Burma” has five sections that display different uses of food: food for well-being, merit-making, healing, spirituality and their beliefs in what is right and wrong.
Curated by Catherine Raymond from NIU’s Burma Art Collection, the exhibit features several artifacts used to reinforce these practices as well as paintings of some of the items used in action.
Among the other items in this section are relic figures reflecting the image of the monks and practitioners who practiced these beliefs as well as other items that symbolize this way of life.
“WHAT IS FOR SUPPER? WHAT IS A MEAL?”
“What is for Supper? What is a Meal?” depicts how sharing a meal can bring people together despite our many differences, how location and economic differences affect what is available and satisfying as a meal and how meals can reflect a person’s interests.
Curated by the Advisory Committee of the NIU Art Museum, this section features the work of over 26 artists who were selected from private and public collections, a national call for entry and by invitation.
Each of the pieces is drastically different from one another and has its own tones and messages behind it.
Some of the pieces have a comical and cartoonish theme to them while others have a slightly darker tone which entrances the viewer as they are stuck on what the conveyed message could be.
UNSURPASSED IN QUALITY: VINTAGE FOOD LABELS
“Unsurpassed in Quality: Vintage Food Labels” displays a vast collection of old-school lithographic food labels provided by Peter B. Olson, the assistant director of the NIU Art Museum.
These labels are displayed near the north and south entrances to the other two exhibits.
Jo Burke, director of the NIU Art Museum, wants the exhibits to help visitors think about what they eat and why, as well as how big of a factor it is in our lives.
“Hopefully, visitors will think about what they eat, why and with whom,” Burke said. “What foods do they miss or look forward to? How are our eating habits different between cultures and over time? It is such a big part of our day, it deserves some thought.”
The exhibitions are open from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Tuesday and Wednesday, noon to 6 p.m. on Thursday and Friday and noon to 3 p.m. on Saturday. The exhibitions will be discontinued after Feb. 17 before the next exhibit.
For more information about current and upcoming exhibits, visit the museum’s website.
