Workshops

Alumni Gallery | Anne Bissonnette, Curator

The history of children's clothing reflects the attitude of adults toward childhood, as, until very recently, children had no voice in the matter. Prior to the late 18th century, children were dressed as miniature adults, in garments which limited their physical freedom and imposed societal restrictions on their behavior. From birth, infants were tightly wrapped in swaddling clothes, which immobilized their limbs. Toddlers were put into smaller versions of their parents' clothing, a practice which reflected the prevailing view that childhood was an undesirable prelude to adulthood, to be gotten through as soon as possible.

Until the social revolution of the late 18th century, rigorous and sometimes violent child-rearing practices encouraged early conformity to adult standards of behavior. Parenthood was not necessarily a positive experience when multiple uncontrollable births were the norm and women frequently died in childbirth. Infant mortality was high; less than half the children born survived until age 5, and half of the remainder never reached age 10. Offspring were often seen as "imps of Satan" or the result of original sin. Because the average life span was only 30 years, children were forced into early adulthood, usually between the ages of 7 and 9, depending upon their social status. Early maturity was a necessity since working class 5 year-olds could be employed 14 hours a day to help support their families.

In opposition to common practices, philosophers and educators such as Erasmus (c.1466-1536), Ascham (1515-1568), Komensky (1592-1670) and John Locke (1632-1704) wrote important treatises on the education of children, condemning the use of fear and violence in teaching, and proposing age-appropriate methods and respect for the child. The movement for children's rights gained momentum and international recognition in 1762 with the publication of Jean-Jacques Rousseau's best-selling and controversial novel Émile. In his writings, Rousseau depicted childhood as a purer state of being to be cherished instead of despised and embraced for its potential for happiness and playfulness. He went further than other reformers and characterized children as individuals in their own right.

The emancipation of the child started a revolution in dress that would eventually lead to greater freedom and informality in clothing for both adults and children. In the late 18th and early 19th centuries true children's wear emerged. This form of dress bore no resemblance to adult clothes and aimed to provide comfort and convenience for the young. Styles included the light-colored cotton "skeleton suit" for boys and the uncorseted high-waisted dress for girls, both of which were to have a strong impact on later adult styles.

The pendulum swung back to discomfort in the 1820s when children were again subjected to the whims of adult fashions. The industrial revolution enabled a rising middle class to practice a new level of ostentation, in which children were again used to indicate the social status of their parents. Victorian materialism put girls back into crinolines and bustles, and both young boys and girls into stays, long hair and numerous petticoats. Older boys wore tunics, short pants, trousers and a variety of military-style uniforms, which at times provided ease and comfort. However the emphasis was no longer on the child's welfare and needs. Children were dressed in elaborate garments and hats, high-heeled narrow shoes, and heavy, stiff, dark fabrics until the end of the 19th century, despite the opposition of dress reformers.

During the 19th century child labor laws and social welfare programs began to remedy the numerous wrongs inflicted on children, but the next great social change did not occur until the 20th century when the First World War triggered a relaxation of manners and simplification of dress for all age groups. An interest in psychology in the 1920s brought about revised attitudes toward children and their development. At the same time, a new fashion for sports, fresh air and sunshine, and the growing ready-to-wear industry contributed to the adoption by adults of simpler, more comfortable, active styles that had been devised for children. The cult of youth would become the dominant social trend of the later 20th century and sportswear would blur the differences between children and adult styles.

Broadbent Gallery | Jean L. Druesedow, Director

The beautiful realm of Ohio art pottery is explored in a new year-long exhibition appearing October 25, 2000 through October 28, 2001 at the Kent State University Museum titled Uncommon Clay: Ohio Art Pottery from the Paige Palmer Collection.

The exhibition features more than 130 pieces of pottery made by the Roseville, Weller, Rookwood, and McCoy ceramics companies in the Zanesville and Cincinnati area from the 1860s until the 1960s when the companies all had closed. It also features several pieces made by Canton ceramicist, Charles Clewell. The show is being presented with the support of the Ohio Arts Council and 89.7 WKSU.

The Paige Palmer Collection, which she donated to the Kent State University Museum in January, 2000, enhances the museum's holdings in decorative arts and provides valuable study for the School of Art, Department of History, interior design, crafts and ceramics. Ms. Palmer, a pioneer of televised exercise shows and international journalist, has just been selected for induction into the Ohio Women's Hall of Fame. An avid collector of world art, she became interested in collecting Ohio art pottery in the early 1950s while interviewing art and antique dealers on her weekly show. As a result, her collection includes rare and unusual examples of the pottery, now highly sought after on such auction sites as e-Bay.

"The incredible richness of southern Ohio clay helped propel Ohio pottery to the forefront of the ceramics industry, and is one of the reasons that Ohio Art Pottery has maintained its glaze and beauty for more than 100 years. Another is the sheer artistry of the industry and the remarkable decorators who took ideas from around the world and applied them to a popular art form, " stated Paige Palmer in a recent interview about her passion for Ohio Art Pottery.

Aside from important examples of such successful pottery lines as Rozane Royal, Pine Cone, Sunflower, Louwelsa, and Etna, the exhibition will also showcase works by Canton, Ohio ceramicist, Charles Clewell, believed to be the world's sole producer of "blue bronze", was a technician with the Timken Company who also created pottery featuring bronze over porcelain. In 1937, the French government awarded him the distinguished Diploma of the International Exposition of Arts and Techniques which he received in Paris. Because Clewell kept his pieces for himself rather than distribute or sell them, examples of them today are very rare. Included in Uncommon Clay are two of Clewell's bronzed works: a vase and mug created at the turn of the century. Unfortunately, not much is known about his process of ceramic art. As Clewell was oft quoted, "The art will likely die with me".

Uncommon Clay: Ohio Art Pottery from The Paige Palmer Collection reflects the dynamic historical forces that shaped the ceramics industry during the Arts and Crafts movement between 1870 and 1930. These include the onsurge of patriotism, women's suffrage, big business, interior design and the industrial revolution.

GENERAL INFORMATION ON OHIO ART POTTERY   

Ohio was the center of pottery production due to good waterways and an abundance of raw materials, Ohio's natural gas deposits in Zanesville combined with rich clay provided an ideal foundation for local potteries and gave Zanesville its nickname, "clay city". During its heyday, Ohio pottery establishments numbered 30. The products were sold in fine department stores and considered ideal gifts for weddings and other significant occasions. Ohio Art Pottery can be characterized as a close-knit industry of artists and potters who were given often switched allegiance, going to work for the competition. As a result, there are a lot of similarities in design and style among the many companies. This industry is also reflective of improved opportunities in the workplace for women, as the advent of modern inventions such as sewing machines and commercially prepared foods enabled women to pursue other activities including artistic professions.

Early on, decorators frequently signed their pieces, however later pieces were not signed. When sales of Ohio Art Pottery began to decline after World War II, companies went from expensive handcrafted artistic lines to more commercial lines such as oven-to-table ware. Despite the transition to basic housewares, most of the companies began to fold between 1919 and 1940, primarily due to declining markets after the depression, changes in management and financial problems. By 1967, all of the companies were out of business.

ROSEVILLE

Roseville Pottery Co. was incorporated in 1892 in Roseville, Ohio. The firm began making stoneware jars, flower pots and cuspidors. in 1898, the company moved sixteen miles north to the former Clark Stoneware Plant in Zanesville, however, retaining its original name. For two years, the Roseville Company continued to produce stoneware specialties. Two other Zanesville ceramics factories, Weller, and Owens, were already prospering in the production of art pottery.

In 1900, Ross C. Purdy was hired to create the firm's first art line: Rozane, characterized by a thin glaze called "slip" blended in a brown background under clear glaze, then decorated by artists with wild flowers, animals and portraits. Later, the decoration was applied on light backgrounds. The name was eventually changed to Rozane Royal to distinguish it from other lines. The marks on these pieces show "R.P. Co." impressed on the bottom, sometimes with "Rozane" above it. In 1902, Frederick Horton Rhead, a member of an English family prominent in art and ceramics, came to the U.S. to work for a competing company, Weller. One of his techniques was forcing tiny threads of clay from a squeeze bag through a small opening to outline decorations. Soon after, he switched allegiance and was hired as art director for the Roseville Pottery Company where he continued to use the squeeze bag on Aztec and other Roseville lines. In 1905, the first Roseville Catalog was published, which today is very rare and difficult to find.

In 1906, Rhead introduced the Della Robbia line of 75 designs which showcased his technique of cutting away the background to reveal Greek, Persian and conventional decorating with overglaze

By 1908, all handcrafting was abandoned except for Roseville's prestigious line Rozane Royal. Roseville was the first pottery in Ohio to install a tunnel kiln which increased its production capacity. The glazes produced by this company was inexpensive yet conveyed to the onlooker a well designed, technically refined ceramic art piece. Floral motifs dominated most of the wares produced at Roseville, a trademark the company became known for throughout its life span. The Sunflower line revived in the 1930s was particularly successful during the Aesthetic movement. The secret of the company's success was its ability to produce hand decorated pieces along with commercial dinner wares and premiums for A & P Company.

Following suit with other art potteries in Ohio, Roseville hired Japanese decorator Gazo Fujiyama to enhance the ethnic qualities in the ceramic wares. Greece, Italy, France, and South America were also primary sources of inspiration for decorators.

After the depression, Roseville looked for a line to add business. The Pine Cone line in 75 different shapes and sizes was the most successful of all Roseville lines. They were made by the artist duo, Peters and Reed, who had been rejected by Weller.

Roseville closed in 1954.

ROOKWOOD

The enduring nature of Rookwood Pottery survived two world wars and the lifespan of the Arts and Craft Movement while continuing to exhibit new lines, glaze techniques, and artistic excellence with entrepreneurial zeal. Rookwood was established in 1880 by Maria Nicholas, one of four recognized visionaries of art pottery during the Cincinnati women's art movement.

A major artistic accomplishment for Rookwood came in 1889 when the company was asked to exhibit wares at the Paris Exposition Universelle. The artistic influences that inspired was ethnically diverse ranging from Japanese china painting to Greek motifs. This varied design was entirely characteristic in Rookwood and other potteries of the time as they searched for identities in the art world.

Rookwood closed in 1967.

S. A. WELLER

Samuel A.Weller founded Weller Pottery in 1872. His main goal was to mass produce artistic pottery for the general public. Many of his earlier popular wares were high?glazed brown?shaded ceramics inspired by the Roseville line of Rozane which he renamed "Louwelsa" in 1918. The name came after a year long partnership with Lonhunda Pottery which moved the companies production facilities to Zanesville.

Weller ceramics were largely imitations of Roseville and Rookwood wares, mass produced. Weller's most successful lines came about between 1902 to 1906 during his association with Frederick H. Rhead, an affluent art pottery ceramist. The lines developed were Jap Birdimal and L'Art Nouveau. Another successful line was Etna, also in the exhibition.

Two of Weller's key designers were W. Myers and Hester Pillsbury. Examples of their signed pieces are in the exhibition. Weller was distinguished by frequent incorporation of farm animals and forests.

Weller closed in 1948.

Mull Gallery | Anne Bissonnette, Curator

Born in lush oases scattered in a barren desert landscape, Central Asia's spectacular ikat fabrics reverberate with beauty, energy and life. Intricate motifs in hazy patterns glow with scintillating colors. Their textile artistry is created through a process of dyeing and weaving called abrdandi or "banded cloud." These chromatic experiments echo the ultimate mirage in arid Central Asia, the reflection of clouds on water.

The Malay-Indonesian term ikat, used in the west to describe these fabrics, is derived from the verb mengikat, which means "to bind, tie or wind around"(1). A technique popular in many parts of the world, including Southeast and Central Asia, Japan, and Yemen, ikat is created by binding threads to form areas that will resist coloration. The more colorful and complicated the motifs, the longer and more elaborate the binding and dyeing process before the weaving of the cloth can begin. Despite meticulous care in binding, resist dyeing inevitably results in motifs with blurred edges, as the dying and weaving processes cause unpredictable distortions.

Although evidence for their earlier existence is scant, Central Asian ikats emerged as a compelling art form during the region's urban renaissance, which occurred in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Springing from a long history of trade and traditions going back as far as the fabled East-West trading path known as the Silk Road, the most brilliant ikats were the result of complex inter-ethnic cooperation. Muslim and Jewish artisans joined forces to create these fabrics, which remain to this day a symbol of national identity and pride.

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(1) Johannes Kalter, ed., Uzbekistan: Heirs to the Silk Road (Thames and Hudson, 1997), 216; Kate Fitz Gibbon and Andrew Hale, Ikat: Splendid Silks of Central Asia: the Guido Goldman Collection (Lawrence King Publishing in Association with Alan Marcuson Publishing, 1999), 14.

Palmer Gallery | Anne Bissonnette, Curator

Charles Kleibacker is one of the few American designers to have made a name for himself creating intricate garments in the couture tradition. Instead of mass-produced ready-to-wear, he created a limited number of extremely well-crafted garments that accented body shape and enhanced wearing comfort. Unsatisfied with industrial construction methods, he specialized in hand-sewn assembly techniques that enabled him to produce remarkable designs, many with highly complex bias-cut construction.

Brought up in the ready-to-wear department of his family's department store in Cullman, Alabama, Charles Kleibacker first worked as a reporter in his native state after receiving a degree in journalism from the University of Notre Dame. Employed as an advertising copywriter upon his arrival in New York City, he subsequently landed a job working for the singer Hildegarde, who provided him with a glimpse of the world of Parisian haute couture. From that moment, a passion for design revealed itself and Kleibacker embarked on a life-long journey of discovery.

After spending three years learning the trade as an assistant designer to Antonio Castillo in the house of Lanvin in Paris, Mr. Kleibacker returned to New York in 1958. He designed for Nettie Rosenstein before opening his own studio in 1960. Located at first on 26 West 76th Street, he later moved to larger premises on 23 West 73rd Street. For the next twenty-five years he devoted himself to the creation of fluid garments with a distinctive couture character. A great admirer of Madeleine Vionnet's 1930s construction techniques, Kleibacker explored ways to use all the potentialities of his medium, cloth, by laying out his pattern pieces in several directions to take advantage of the effect of grain on fit.

Many of Kleibacker's garments are cut out on the bias with the pattern pieces set diagonally on the cloth. Were these pieces placed parallel to the fabric selvedge edge or perpendicular to it, the longitudinal warp threads would provide strength, as would, to a lesser degree, the horizontal weft threads. Pieces set diagonally have no direct support threads, and the warp and weft tend to contract and retract in a diamond pattern when the garment is worn. This bias cut allows better fit and greater ease. It also demands superior engineering skills from the designer, since the structure of bias cut cloth changes with gravity over time and the seams must be planned to allow for this growth. These design difficulties explain why production of such garments is limited and better achieved in a couture setting.

Although at odds with his contemporaries in the 1960s, Kleibacker's vision of soft clothes that followed body contour without constricting it returned to the forefront of fashion in the 1970s. Painstakingly engineered and often individually fitted to the wearer's body, his designs were created mostly in neutral colors and high quality fabrics. They were sold for $1,200 to $3,500 in such stores as Hattie Carnegie, Bergdorf-Goodman, Bonwit Teller, Henri Bendel, Martha, Nan Duskin and Neiman-Marcus. Kleibacker's clientele included such celebrities as Gertrude Lawrence, Lady Iris Mountbatten, Diahann Carroll, Mrs. Nelson Rockefeller, Mrs. Richard Nixon during her days as First Lady, Hildegarde, Mary Travers, Jane Pickens Hoving, Regina Resnik, Mrs. Rebekah Harkness, Mrs. Irving Berlin, Mrs. Alfred Drake, Alicia Markova, Zita Davidson and Mrs. L.V. Dodge, to mention but a few.

Charles Kleibacker's name is synonymous not only with superb technique but also with educational outreach. Over the years, he has shared his knowledge with a multitude of students in colleges throughout the United States, and he continues to do so to this day. In September 1984, he accepted a position as designer-in-residence at the Department of Consumer and Textile Sciences of The Ohio State University, where he acted as director and curator of the historic costume collection until October 1995. As designer, collector and curator, Charles Kleibacker has contributed to several exhibitions at The Kent State University Museum. Adjunct faculty member at The Shannon Rodgers and Jerry Silverman School of Fashion Design and Merchandising at Kent State University, he continues to empower students by sharing his technical skills and by encouraging their quest for individuality.

Higbee Gallery | Anne Bissonnette, Curator

To celebrate The Kent State University Museum's fifteenth anniversary, we have elected to pay homage to an American original who has contributed in making our museum the one-of-a-kind institution it is. Who better to help us rejoice in style than Arnold Scaasi? With his passion for fashion, he has left his indelible, exuberant and glamorous mark on many American celebrations, from private family weddings to public presidential inaugural balls.

Born Arnold Isaacs in Montreal, he was exposed to the garment industry from an early age as the son of a furrier. At fourteen, he traveled to Australia to visit his Aunt Ida, a woman of style and substance, who helped him decide on a career in fashion. Upon his return to Montreal, Arnold studied at the Cotnoir-Capponi School of Design, which was affiliated with Paris' Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture Parisienne where he completed his formal design education. After an apprenticeship at the House of Paquin, he returned to America and obtained a position with designer Charles James in New York, where he worked for just over two years. James' sculptural gowns and demanding clientele helped to forge his skills as a creator and in public relations. A superb colorist whose designs aimed for maximum impact, he freelanced on numerous occasions and his clothes appeared in magazine ads for a wide variety of products in the early 1950s. While his creations were being used in a General Motors ad campaign, his friend Robert Denning reversed his name to give it a fashionable Italian flavor: Arnold Isaacs had become Scaasi!

It was with this catchy new name that Scaasi made the much-coveted cover of Vogue magazine in December 1955. The dramatic red evening coat featured on the Christmas issue was a forerunner of the numerous high-spirited and sculptural garments that were to become Scaasi trademarks. He opened his own ready-to-wear business in 1956 with a seamstress, a tailor, a small Manhattan studio, and $2000 in savings. Highly creative and hard working, he also proved himself to be a talented businessman. Just two years after his business debut, he won the prestigious Coty Fashion Critics Award in 1958 and, from then on, the great ladies of the era flocked to his door, from Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy to the First Lady of the day, Mamie Eisenhower.

When social trends began to change in the 1960s, Arnold Scaasi went against the current and decided to change his business from a ready-to-wear to a made-to-order enterprise. In an era when even Parisian couture had to redefine itself, he closed on Seventh Avenue and opened his own couture salon in 1964. There, he catered to women who wanted luxurious clothes made to fit their bodies and lifestyles to perfection. His boundless creativity enabled him to design for a very eclectic clientele. From First Lady gowns for Lady Bird Johnson to Barbra Streisand's scandalously sheer 1969 Oscar overblouse and pants, Scaasi's name remained on everyone's lips.

His ready-to-wear label and mass availability reappeared with the affluence of the 1980s. Arnold Scaasi returned to Seventh Avenue in 1984 with a line called "Scaasi Boutique". This helped expand his sense of style beyond the socialites and entertainers such as Blaine and Ivana Trump, Princess Yasmin Aga Khan, Lauren Bacall, Diahann Carroll, Elizabeth Taylor and Mary Tyler Moore who were at the core of his couture clientele. His success triggered a series of licensing agreements, some of which had started in the 1950s, with furs, jewelry, accessories, fragrances, ties, bridalwear, sleepwear, and even QVC "dresses at a price". With great pride, he created for his existing client, First Lady Barbara Bush, her 1989 inaugural dress, which is now part of The Smithsonian Institution's collection. To add to the numerous awards he received over the years, including the 1987 award for Creative Excellence from the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA), Mrs. Bush presented him in 1997 with the most prestigious accolade in the fashion world, the CFDA's Lifetime Achievement Award.

In the ephemeral world of fashion, Scaasi's sense of style, color and shape have endured. An art collector whose passion permeates his work, he knows what American women want and remembers their desire for fantasy. Although he has tried to take a step back to enjoy his success, his talent and energy push him to the forefront and, with First Lady Laura Bush enlisting him into her service, we can look forward to seeing more of his sumptuous creations.

Stager Gallery

This exhibition features the wearable art works of 55 innovative Korean artists who attempt to show fashion in a new light, not only in its functional and practical aspects but also as an imaginative and contemporary art form. This exciting exhibition is on display in the U.S. at only 3 venues: Parsons School of Design in New York, The Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising in Los Angeles and the Kent State University Museum.

Wearable Art is an art form that began in the early 1970s as "Art to Wear": one of a kind pieces of clothing made outside the mainstream of fashion. Artists would use clothing simply as a medium without reference to current commercial fashion. In the 70s, true "wearable art" was meant to be worn. Today, wearable art has transformed to become more sculptural, in other words, artwork that is in the shape of clothing but is not generally meant to be worn. Most of the pieces in the show are not meant to be worn but are meant to be viewed and enjoyed as a work of art.

Media used in "Air of East" clothing designs include: textiles, wire, paper, tape, horse hair,metal, beads, twine, newspaper, tree bark, mirrors, ornamental birds, yarn, cork, rubber,glass, silk flowers, wood, Chinese ink, sponges, dried flowers, and much more. These various types of media allow each artist to create their own spectacular garment. For example, one of the more "wearable" pieces in the exhibition is a lovely, willowy green satin high-necked gown embellished with hand-made rosettes on the bodice which were crafted by folding and interlocking together satin bias and horse hair bands. There is also a dress called "Web Dress in White" that's fashioned completely from wire, beads and twine. In another example, large shavings of wood bark are used with leather to form a skirt.

This idea for the American debut of this exhibition was conceived in a very interesting manner. Museum Director, Jean Druesedow, was interested in bringing Korean wearable art to the U.S., and to Kent. Prior to joining the KSU Museum in 1993, Ms. Druesedow was with the Costume Society of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, NY where she taught fashion history classes at NYU. One of her former students, Ms. Kyoung Hee Cho, is the assistant professor and chair of the fashion department at one of the Korean women universities.

Every other year, Kyuong and 55 other Korean women who are mostly professors in departments of fashion design and clothing & textiles, have done a large exhibition of wearable art. They also publish a catalog. Jean suggested to Kyoung that the next time they do a catalog of their works, they should bring an exhibition based on the catalog to the United States on "tour". She would commit to having the exhibition at The Kent State University Museum, where one of the Museum's key missions is to provide diverse exhibitions of world culture through fashion and decorative arts. (Other recent Asian art exhibitions have included "Japanese by Design – Issey Miyake, Rei Kawakubo, and Yohji Yamamoto", a current display of stunning Ikat Robes from Central Asia, and an on-going exhibition of gold and ivory carvings from China; an upcoming exhibition of Photographs of Tibet is planned for October 2001).

The Parsons School of Design in New York and The Fashion Institute for Design and Merchandising in Los Angeles also agreed to host the exhibition. This is the first time the works of the Korean artists/professors have been shown in the United States: it is currently at the Parsons School of Design Gallery (thru January 16, 2001), then at The Kent State University Museum (February 21 to September 2, 2001) and then on its final destination at The Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising in Los Angeles (October to December 17, 2001) before returning to Korea.

Stager Gallery | Anne Bissonnette, Curator

This exhibition examines the variety of garments that were appropriate to wear in different surroundings and times of day in the nineteenth century by women who followed fashion and lived a life of leisure. The nineteenth-century witnessed the propagation of periodicals aimed at a wide array of individuals and social classes on both the European and American continents. Within different types of publications, the fashion plate was found to be a popular feature that informed audiences of the changes in styles and was also partially responsible for the dissemination of certain genres. These plates became an important mode of communication that helped codify existing rules and regulations regarding how garments were to be worn and in what surroundings they were suitable.

The women depicted in the fashion plates were not the same as those targeted by today's fashion industry. Instead of the pre-pubescent ideal, the wife and mother was the glorified role model. Body types depicted illustrated this difference well: in keeping with female anatomy, hips, bellies and buttocks were much admired and necessary to attain the fashionable silhouette, as was the bearing of a generous bosom. These components helped to create the illusion of a smaller waist, which was also made possible by the wearing of corsets. Although literature abound describing the horrors of tight-lacing, we must remember that, as is the case today, some people succumb to societal pressures, but not all victimized themselves to an unhealthy degree. Will future generations think we all dieted ourselves to death due to the massive amount of literature dedicated to this subject? Where the nineteenth-century woman used an external aid to achieve a matronly figure, today's population has internalized the process to achieve the ideal silhouette.

With the societal changes that followed the industrial revolution, the middle classes gained greater access to leisurely activities and life-styles. Where European nobility had dictated the codes and organization of social functions in previous centuries, wealth instead of birth enabled individuals from the upper middle class to participate in these activities. Although women still represented a large percentage of the middle and lower class workforce, fashion plates were aimed at those individuals that had attained the much sought-after life of leisure.

East Gallery | Dr. John Milton Lundquist, Guest Curator

In Tibet theories about religion, its spiritual power and tenacious hold on the human imagination become reality. Tibet is a repository of some of the most ancient beliefs and rituals. It houses temples such as the magnificent Jokhang in Lhasa, the ethereal national cathedral of Tibetan religion, where one can immerse oneself in an atmosphere that evokes the great temples of antiquity.

The land of Tibet is given its deepest imprint of spirituality by the Tibetan people, whose pilgrimage fervor and devotion to Buddhism can never be quenched. The followers of this Indian doctrine attributed to Gautama Buddha, believe that suffering is inseparable from existence but that inward extinction of the self and of the senses culminates in a state of illumination beyond suffering and existence.

Tibet is also a land of "power places," as a Tibetan phrase expresses: mountains, valleys, rocks, caves, rivers and lakes are scattered with sacred Buddhist structures such as temples, chapels within monasteries and chortens, which are shrines also known as stupas. These sanctuaries have become consecrated because of the miraculous visitation or intervention by Buddha or one his holy followers, the Bodhisattvas. The sacredness of these structures also could have resulted from their having been touched, visited or sanctified by one of the great Indian or Tibetan saints, or because they reflect some aspect of Tibetan Buddhist cosmology.

The photographs exhibited at The Kent State University Museum come from a number of my visits to Tibet, beginning in 1994, through my most recent visit in the summer of 2000. In them we can see a land of high mountain desert, which is covered for much of the year by wind-blown sand. Vast drifts of sand cascade down the mountain slopes and spill onto the roads into the river bottoms like billowing brown glaciers. This harsh terrain also nurtures verdant valleys, fabulous flowers, fruits and grains which blossom and grow in the spring and give the countryside color and vitality into the Fall. This striking country and its people have suffered terribly under the oppression carried out by the regime of the People's Republic of China, and they still lack full expression of their beliefs. But much about this mysterious high mountain land remains intact, or is being rebuilt. There is a deeply moving and magnetic sense of spirituality in Tibet that irresistibly draws me back.

Alumni Gallery | Label text prepared by Lori Harris and Paul Tople

When Paul Tople's parents gave him a photograph processing kit for Christmas when he was 14 years old, he thought that was the "dumbest gift" ever. His mother and father weren't photographers, and he had never taken a picture in his life. He had no idea at the time that the kit would serve as a symbol of his destiny.

After working his way through college by photographing weddings and working part-time at the Barberton Herald, Paul graduated from Kent State University in 1970. A photojournalism major, he worked for the School of Journalism and Mass Communication's Chestnut Burr magazine and yearbook, as well as the Daily Kent Stater. After graduation, he began a notable career as a photographer at the Akron Beacon Journal. During his 30 years at the newspaper, he was a member of distinguished news teams that won three Pulitzer Prizes. When asked to describe his career in a few words, he said: "Without a doubt, it has been an interesting journey in photojournalism."

"I remember the days of walking into the back shop at work when you couldn't hear yourself talk because the linotype machines were so loud - they were deafening," he said. "The camera I used was a 2¼" x 2¼" format RolleiFlex. Today, we hear only the soft tapping of the computer keys, and I have a digital camera that I'm still learning how to use." Paul said the changes in technology throughout the past 30 years have been almost unbelievable, yet they have provided him with new opportunities. It was change, he said - and the fact that Knight-Ridder has constantly invested in new technology - that kept him interested in the profession.

Throughout the years, Paul has had many mentors such as former photojournalism professors Charlie Brill because "his enthusiasm was contagious" and Henry Beck, "who looked at me and said, 'I except to see great things from you.'" Paul also considers Bill Beers, a fellow Boy Scout leader, as his mentor. "He showed me that I could accomplish anything by practicing leadership skills." Perhaps Paul's most influential mentor was his father, Clarence, who died in 1995. "He showed me that I shouldn't be afraid to do something. He also taught me to respect people and that all things are possible if you work hard," he explained.

And his strongest supporter over the years is his wife, Terri. Because he didn't have a "9 to 5" job, Terri was primarily responsible for raising their two young sons, Edward and Michael. Paul says he is grateful that she was willing to support him as his career was taking off.

Kent State's School of Journalism and Mass Communication holds a special place in Paul's heart. "We were all family; we worked together and we played together. And we had a great darkroom, good photography equipment and professors who prepared us well." Paul said receiving the William Taylor Distinguished Alumni Award is a privilege. "I feel very fortunate to be included in the long line of professional journalists who have attended Kent State. Obviously, William Taylor set the standard, and to be in the same class with Fran Murphy and many others is a true honor."

For Paul, the future holds many new challenges, although he would like to continue working with and being a mentor to photojournalism students. And with a glimmer in his eyes and that famous smile, he adds: "I still feel that there's another Pulitzer in me someplace, somewhere."

Broadbent Gallery | Dr. Shirley Teresa Wajda and Dr. Terrence L. Uber, Guest Curators

What makes a house a home? For nearly two centuries, American critics and reformers have wrestled with that question. Although Americans at the beginning of the nineteenth century lived in a variety of dwellings, by the eve of the Civil War architects, social reformers and fiction writers were using their pens to forge an ideal of the suburban, single-family dwelling as the right way of living. The family was the basic social unit of the State, these authors argued; the home was the place in which society and nation could be perfected. Since that time, the nation's printing presses have never stopped in their production of plan books, architectural treatises, decorating and interior design guides, household advice manuals, house trade advertising, and domestic fiction. And Americans have never stopped reading this advice literature. Or building, buying, renovating, or dreaming of, home.

Especially in eras of increased opportunity and prosperity, home ownership and stylish decoration have come to define what it is to be "middle class." Designing Domesticity: Decorating the American Home Since 1876 explores the relationship between interior design and family reform in four decades of relative growth the 1870s, the 1920s, the 1950s, and today. In these decades, room arrangement changed and new rooms were created, reflecting changes in the nature of family. How the family created the hospitable home - for their guests and for themselves - figures prominently in advice literature and in the types of goods American families purchased. Style bespoke the family's knowledge of the canons of taste, and may be analyzed through the selection of wall treatments, furniture, ceramics, and dress. As consumers, middle-class Americans balanced their quest for betterment by choosing affordable interpretations of high style, but they also remained true to the tenets of frugality, applying their own hands to create household furniture and other embellishments. Balanced between the prescriptions of reformers and individual creativity, middle-class Americans made houses into homes by dint of hard work, helping to create - and renovate - a distinctly American ideal.