Belief & Ritual
Some of the Berea College Art Collection’s most generous donors have gifted artworks that were acquired while pursuing Christian mission work overseas. As a result, many of the artworks in the collection represent religious and spiritual belief systems that are widespread throughout the world, including Judaism, Christianity, Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam, and a multitude of Indigenous and tribal spiritual practices. The artworks and objects shown here showcase the diverse nature of humanity’s relationship to the divine, while also highlighting connections across different religions and ritual traditions.
Observation & Documentation
Since the prehistoric era, people have been compelled to record their observations for posterity, documenting the landscape, themselves and others, and their personal surroundings in ways both realistic and imaginative. Through a variety of media – from painting, drawing, photography, and printmaking – this selection of artworks provides visual evidence of the human impulse to document, to make permanent and personal, the world around them.
Identity & The Self
Art is often thought of as an outlet of self-expression, something that reveals the personality of an individual artist and their unique way of seeing. Indeed, art can be extremely personal and subjective, and the artmaking process can be introspective as well. Some artists create to show the world something about their lived experience, while others might do so as way to process and better understand their experiences for themselves. The artists represented here are interested in exploring how identity, relationships, and personal histories affect our understanding and experience of the world.
Care & Comfort
Works of art can take many forms and not all artworks are made to simply be looked at. In fact, while many people might at first associate “art” with painting and sculpture, the division between “art” and “craft” – terminology commonly used to distinguish between objects that are made specifically to be aesthetically pleasing and objects that serve utilitarian purposes – is a relatively recent and Western-centric way of understanding artistic production. The objects on display here were originally designed to be used in ways that aid in care and comfort in our day-to-day lives. At the same time, these items are intentionally, skillfully, and beautifully made so as to also provide pleasure, underscoring how humans across cultures value beauty in the everyday.
Labor & Leisure
The value and dignity of labor is entrenched in Berea College culture as an integral part of the College’s mission and identity, reflected in our Great Commitments and the Labor Program. At the same time, leisure – rest and play – is equally important to our physical wellbeing, mental health, and intellectual and emotional development as individuals. Labor and leisure are often intertwined in our lives and are yet another instance of the human experience in which boundaries are blurred. As the artworks and objects in this section show, the tasks we perform and objects we use for “work” are not always that far removed from the things we make and do for “fun.” How do labor and leisure overlap in your life?