Curatorial Panel Through Her Lens: Gertrude Bass Warner's Vision of Asia

Over the course of the year, a graduate museum studies class held at the JSMA has learned the theory and practice of developing a museum exhibition, culminating in the installation and evaluation of the current show Through Her Lens. The class worked with materials JSMA founder Gertrude Bass Warner travelled to Asia to collect, materials that are now held by the JSMA and UO Special Collections and University Archives. Warner's documents show she collected with the goal of creating a museum dedicated to cross-cultural understanding.  But what precisely did she hope to say about Asia through the collections she actually acquired? The panel will discuss the exhibition research and design, and contrast Through Her Lens with the parallel Visions of the Orient exhibition, which also displays many works given the JSMA by Bass Warner. The audience will be encouraged to share their response to both shows.