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With rich colors and fascinating characters, the images on display in McPherson College’s Fellowship Hall capture the lives of people whose homes are far from those of most area residents.
Titled “Bangladesh: Colours of Culture and Context,” the exhibition is the latest to fill the college’s gallery. Comprised of more than 30 photographic prints and artifacts brought back from the country by artist Katrina Lewis, the vivid production shares Bangladeshi culture and life with area residents who often know little about the small Asian nation.
Lewis, assistant professor of interior architecture and product design at Kansas State University, opened the show on Aug. 29.
She said she aims to guide the community members’ understandings of such a foreign culture in a positive direction.
“In our current state of the world, we often look at developing countries as having a negative image versus having a beauty within the culture,” Lewis said. “I hope people come away with a positive feeling about the Bangladeshi people.”
Lewis captured the images while teaching for a year at the Asian University of Women in Chittagong, Bangladesh. Her photographs are filled with captivating scenes and events that, to the Bangladeshis, are simply part of everyday life.
McPherson College will make the exhibition available to guests of its homecoming festivities this weekend. Fellowship Hall will be open and the art available for viewing on from 10 to 1:15 p.m. Saturday, as well as during normal school hours during the week.
This will allow visitors to view the exhibition while attending other campus events like luncheons, the college’s Auto Restoration Car Exhibit, or even the afternoon football game.
A series of events complimenting the exhibit have sought to explain the greater meaning of the images. A public artist’s reception was held on Sept. 16 in which Lewis shared her work with members of the McPherson community. On Sept. 20 Lewis spent a day speaking with classes at the school and had a public presentation in the evening, which included her sister, Summer Lewis, joining the conversation over the internet from Australia. Summer contributed to the exhibition and joined Katrina in Bangladesh.
After hosting visitors of McPherson College’s homecoming festivities this weekend, the exhibit will enjoy one final special event. On Oct. 30, the day of its closing, members of the public are invited to share in a celebration of culture with members of Bangladeshi communities from McPherson and Manhattan. The event will take place from 3 to 5 p.m. and will include authentic Bangladeshi food and instrument playing.
Combined with events conducted earlier in the exhibition, McPherson College professor of art Wayne Conyers said that Lewis’ events and art provide a unique opportunity to study a foreign culture.
“The exhibition provides not only the aesthetic appreciation of the work but also the meaning behind the work,” Conyers said. “These aren’t just a bunch of pretty picture -- each piece has a story to be told.”
With rich colors and fascinating characters, the images on display in McPherson College’s Fellowship Hall capture the lives of people whose homes are far from those of most area residents.
Titled “Bangladesh: Colours of Culture and Context,” the exhibition is the latest to fill the college’s gallery. Comprised of more than 30 photographic prints and artifacts brought back from the country by artist Katrina Lewis, the vivid production shares Bangladeshi culture and life with area residents who often know little about the small Asian nation.
Lewis, assistant professor of interior architecture and product design at Kansas State University, opened the show on Aug. 29.
She said she aims to guide the community members’ understandings of such a foreign culture in a positive direction.
“In our current state of the world, we often look at developing countries as having a negative image versus having a beauty within the culture,” Lewis said. “I hope people come away with a positive feeling about the Bangladeshi people.”
Lewis captured the images while teaching for a year at the Asian University of Women in Chittagong, Bangladesh. Her photographs are filled with captivating scenes and events that, to the Bangladeshis, are simply part of everyday life.
McPherson College will make the exhibition available to guests of its homecoming festivities this weekend. Fellowship Hall will be open and the art available for viewing on from 10 to 1:15 p.m. Saturday, as well as during normal school hours during the week.
This will allow visitors to view the exhibition while attending other campus events like luncheons, the college’s Auto Restoration Car Exhibit, or even the afternoon football game.
A series of events complimenting the exhibit have sought to explain the greater meaning of the images. A public artist’s reception was held on Sept. 16 in which Lewis shared her work with members of the McPherson community. On Sept. 20 Lewis spent a day speaking with classes at the school and had a public presentation in the evening, which included her sister, Summer Lewis, joining the conversation over the internet from Australia. Summer contributed to the exhibition and joined Katrina in Bangladesh.
After hosting visitors of McPherson College’s homecoming festivities this weekend, the exhibit will enjoy one final special event. On Oct. 30, the day of its closing, members of the public are invited to share in a celebration of culture with members of Bangladeshi communities from McPherson and Manhattan. The event will take place from 3 to 5 p.m. and will include authentic Bangladeshi food and instrument playing.
Combined with events conducted earlier in the exhibition, McPherson College professor of art Wayne Conyers said that Lewis’ events and art provide a unique opportunity to study a foreign culture.
“The exhibition provides not only the aesthetic appreciation of the work but also the meaning behind the work,” Conyers said. “These aren’t just a bunch of pretty picture -- each piece has a story to be told.”
