A Chair for All Reasons
Opening Sunday June 29, 2008
Sitting is a universal experience. Throughout the world, people settle into chairs, stretch out on benches, perch on stools, sink into sofas or cushion themselves with a pillow, marking the body's state as being both stationary yet dynamic. A Chair for all Reasons will exhibit chairs, benches, and stools from around the world; seventy are from the United States, eleven will be from Europe, three from Asia, five from Africa, five from Central America, and one representing the New Mexican-Hispano tradition.
Opening events include a chair caning demonstration by Ioanna Carlsen of Carlsen Caning from 2 - 4 pm, and a demonstration of traditional New Mexican chair making techniques with Rik Gonzales from 1 - 4 p.m. and a reception hosted by the Museum of New Mexico Women's Board.

Photo, above, left to right: Ladder-back Chair, Monroe City, Missouri. 1850 Given in honor of Jacob Wilson, Museum of International Folk Art (DCA) Santa Fe, NM. Child’s High Chair Rome, Georgia, Early 19th century. Collected by Francis Kilhan Forbes, International Folk Art Foundation. Museum of International Folk Art (DCA) Santa Fe, NM.
Settin’ Chair. Gatlinburg, Tennessee, 19th century, Collected by Francis Kilhan Forbes, International Folk Art Foundation. Museum of International Folk Art (DCA) Santa Fe, NM. Photograph by Blair Clark

Wayang Kulit:
Theater of Shadows in Java, Indonesia
Opening Sunday March 8, 2009
Wayang kulit (shadow puppet) performance of Indonesia is among the oldest and greatest story telling traditions in the world and is said to lie at the heart of Indonesian culture. Wayang kulit are flat, leather puppets elaborately decorated and perforated, casting intricate and dramatic shadows when performed. This is a highly refined art form that commemorates important life cycle ceremonies (such as circumcisions, weddings, and funerals) or social events (such as political elections or community, religious, and/or national holidays). Performances are usually based on classical literature such as the Indian epics, Mahabharata and Ramayana with contemporary issues incorporated into particular scenes. In fact, shadow puppet performance has been a popular mode of communication for ethical instruction, news broadcasting, and political campaigning. Performances are always accompanied by a gamelan orchestra and traditionally begin in the evening and last until dawn.

Featuring the collection of the Museum of International Folk Art, this exhibition will introduce the distinct form and performance of wayang kulit specific to Central Java. Various aspects of this performance art will be explored, including gamelan music, the artistic techniques involved in making shadow puppets, the performance of dalang (puppeteers), regional variations, and the cultural context of wayang kulit. (Photo above, left: Ki Midiyanto, 2007, Eromoko, Java, Indonesia)

Opening May 15, 2009
Writing with Thread: Traditional Textiles of Southwest Chinese Minorities
Neutrogena Wing Traveling Exhibit
Writing with Thread features over 500 objects from the most inclusive collection of Southwest Chinese ethnic minority costumes in the world. Writing with Thread showcases the finest and rarest costumes from 16 ethnic groups and nearly 100 subgroups, exploring the meanings associated with the production and use of indigenous clothing. In societies without written languages, traditions and customs are orally passed form generation to generation. The textile arts, largely practiced by women, provide tangible evidence of a group's history, myths, and legends. The signs and patterns woven or embroidered in their clothing and the ceremonial and ritual use of textiles are often replicated in the accompanying silver ornaments made by men. This exhibition was curated by Angela Sheng, Assistant Professor of Chinese Art History at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.