Echoes of the Ancient World: Adaptations of the Classical Tradition runs January 9 through March 3 at the Grand Valley Art Gallery, located on the Allendale Campus. Admission is free and open to the public Mondays through Fridays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Greek and Roman ceramics, architectural fragments and lamps, as well as antique furniture and clothing from the 18th to 19th century and ceramics, such as Wedgwood and transferware, will be on display. Souvenirs brought back from grand tours by 19th century residents of Grand Rapids include postcards, diaries and ashes from Pompeii. A collection of various prints and lithographs that illustrate classical themes will also be displayed.
The exhibit will focus on the ways that classical elements in these objects were transformed by their owners into markers of status and identifiers of membership in an elite. This is a collaborative exhibit, with participation by students and faculty from the Grand Valley Classics and Art and Design departments.
Both departments and the Art Gallery are sponsoring an Opening Reception and Guest Lecturer on Thursday, January 19.
"Pots, Gems and Books: Sources for 18th Century Artists," will be presented by Nancy Ramage, an expert on ancient and Italian Renaissance Art from Ithaca College in New York. Ramage has published extensively and is co-author of "Roman Art: Romulus to Constantine," which has been translated into German and French. She is a Fellow of the Royal Society of the Arts in London and an Academic Trustee of the Archeological Institute of America.
Her lecture, from 4 to 5 p.m. in the Sherman Van Solkema Recital Hall, will be followed by the exhibition's opening reception from 5 to 7 p.m. in the Art Gallery. Both venues are located in the Performing Arts Center, Allendale.
For more information call the Art Gallery at (616) 331-2564.
