Art Exhibitions

Image credit: UBC Rare Books & Special Collections

Retell | Rethink | Recover  –  An Exhibit on Japan’s Triple Disaster

February 20^th – April 30^th 2012 (at the Irving K. Barber Learning Centre Foyer and Ike’s Cafe Gallery)

The University of British Columbia was deeply affected by the Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami that took place in March 2011. Several members of the UBC community were affected by the events, including faculty who were there on sabbatical, undergraduate students on exchange, graduate students who were there conducting research, and finally several alumni who now live and work inJapan. To commemorate the anniversary of the earthquake and tsunami, UBC Library will mount a major exhibit, which we hope will provide context to the devastation in Japan. The exhibit will be comprised of three parts, placed in three separate areas of the UBC Library.The Retell section will highlight material from the library’s collection, including Edo-period disaster prints that recount the history of earthquakes affecting Japan in the 19^th century, as well as historical maps of the Tōhoku region, including an 1855 map of towns that were ravaged by the Tsunami.The second part, entitled Rethink, will include material gathered from members of the UBC community who were in the area, or who were directly impacted by the disasters. The focus of this section will be not only on the earthquake and tsunami, but also the impact of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant incident. Photos and archived social media discussions will figure prominently in this area.Finally, for the Recover section, monographs and newspaper clippings from the Asian Library collection will provide an overview of Japan’s history of recovering from adversity. This area will also include information on the history of support between Canada and Japan during times of crisis.In conjunction with the exhibit, we are planning to hold a one-day conference on March 10, which will feature discussions and talks from scholars on Japan, as well as members of the UBC community with personal stories regarding the disasters. We hope that community members in the Vancouver area will join us both for the exhibit and for the conference.

For more information regarding Retell | Rethink | Recover, please contact Glenn Drexhage

For more information about the Learning Centre art exhibition space, please contact Allan Cho

The purpose of art exhibits at the Irving K. Barber Learning Centre (IKBLC) is to provide a visual presence to “encourage the important learning that takes place outside formal educational activities.” The Learning Centre welcomes exhibit proposals from individuals, groups and organizations within UBC and from the broader community. The following policy outlines the guidelines for exhibits and exhibitors.

Criteria for exhibits:

Exhibits should be educational in content and encourage learning through the exploration of themes, issues or unique perspectives.Exhibits should provide opportunities for educational programming and related activities.

Submission Criteria:

• Proposals can be submitted to Allan Cho, Program Services Librarian, up to 1 year in advance. Please include an itemized list and sample photographs (or a URL to photographs) of the items to be displayed.
• Exhibitors must coordinate times for set-up and take-down of exhibit items with IKBLC staff. Unfortunately storage for items owned by the exhibitor cannot be provided.
• Installation and removal of exhibits is the responsibility of the exhibitor and must take place when IKBLC is open and conclude at least one hour before it closes.
• Exhibitors should include a title and brief statement of intent or purpose; acknowledgement of sponsor(s); and printed or typed identification labels for display.
• Exhibitors must assume responsibility for contents, loss, or damage.
• Please note the IKBLC does not participate in commercial sales. No prices will be displayed with items. With permission we will make the exhibitor’s name and phone number available to the public.
• Food and drink are permissible after 5:00pm for opening receptions

Room use information:

• The Ike’s Gallery Cafe Gallery features a wall hanging system with approximately 86 feet of wall space available
• The IKBLC Foyer Gallery has five freestanding display cases available (178 cm x 56 cm x 59 cm) with clear Plexiglas lockable covers.
• These artistic exhibits are available for events that are connected to exhibits, either for social activities (openings, donor receptions) or for educational programming (lectures, discussions etc).

Exhibitor’s Agreement :

• Exhibitors will be required to submit an written agreement form prior to the displaying of the exhibit.

Hours for Gallery:

Monday to Sunday – 7am to 1am