History of the Longyear Museum

HAMILTON, N.Y. >> “Shhh! Don’t Tell Anyone!” Uncovering Histories of the Longyear Museum of Anthropology, opens Thursday, May 2, at the Colgate Longyear Museum of Anthropology.

The Longyear Museum of Anthropology, in celebration of the University’s Bicentennial, conducted an archival and collections-based research project on the museum’s history. Based on this research, students in Christy DeLair’s spring 2019 course, MUSE 300: Museum Curating, have curated an exhibition that explores the lives and activities of the curators who shaped the institution; traces how collections evolve; and asks visitors to envision the museum’s future. The exhibition highlights nine different collections that entered the museum from the mid-20th century to the present and are connected to communities in the Americas, Africa, Asia, and Oceania.

An opening reception will take place Thursday, May 2 at 4:30 p.m. at the museum (Alumni Hall, Second Floor) with introductory remarks at 5 p.m. by Anja Chávez, director of university museums; Christy DeLair, and the student curators.

“Shhh! Don’t Tell Anyone!” will be open through June 30, and will reopen after summer recess on Sept. 5. Related programming will include a Reunion Weekend guided tour and a final gathering of the museum’s makerspace series for this academic year.

For more information about the exhibition and upcoming programming, visit the museum’s website or follow the museum on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter @lmacolgate.

PHOTO BYCHRISTY DELAIR Collection archives and curatorial detritus at the Colgate Longyear Museum of Anthropology.