Exhibits

Curated by Prof. M. Antoni J. Ucerler, S.J., Director of the Ricci Institute for Chinese-Western Cultural History at Boston College, this exhibit explores the reality of Jesuit missionaries in Japan in the late 16th and early 17th centuries through use of Japanese texts, European rare books, paintings, and other written and visual media. Many of these missionaries were martyred by Japanese authorities and went on to develop mythical proportions in Jesuit rhetoric.

Curated by Jim Blaettler, S.J., this exhibit demonstrates 17th Century polymath Athanasius Kircher, S.J.'s breadth of knowledge and endless curiosity for making connections amongst topics such as astronomy and magnetism, hieroglyphics and cryptography. The exhibit features woodcut illustrations and other elements found in the thirty-six books held in the museum Father Kircher established in Rome to reflect his vast interests, which capitalized on objects brought back by Jesuit missionaries from the far-flung corners of the earth. Copies of some of the thirty-six books held at the Museum in the Collegio Romano are available in the rare book collections of Santa Clara University and the University of San Francisco, and are included in the exhibit.

This posthumous exhibit of Father Sullivan’s artwork is curated by Professor Kelly Detweiler in conjunction with the release of a book about Gerald Sullivan’s art & life at Santa Clara. The exhibit shows off Father Sullivan’s education and breadth of knowledge in the humanities.

In spring 2018, faculty and students used Archives & Special Collections materials to explore themes of feminism throughout history. This exhibit is a collaboration between the English department and Archives & Special Collections.

This exhibit juxtaposes biblical art with text in creative ways, combining bibles from Archives & Special Collections with a selection of washi prints by Sadao Watanabe. Using illustrations by contemporary biblical artists, this exhibit invites you to reconsider biblical texts as theological artifacts. Just as Jesus is the Word made flesh, every copy of the Bible is the Word made paper, leather, vellum, glue, and ink. Every printing of the Bible is an interpretation of the text, an exercise in the incarnation of Scripture. More than just a display of rare books, we invite you to treat this exhibit as itself a biblical interpretation.

Journey through the life of Dr. Sandra M. Schneiders in an exhibit featuring selections from Schneiders’ collection of professional papers. These materials chronicle a Spirit-filled life committed to the pursuit of God and manifested in prophetic obedience. Chronological highlights of Schneiders’ career document the emergence of key themes in her spirituality and selected artworks from The Saint John’s Bible illuminate motifs that organize the narrative of this exhibit.

Every generation comes with stereotypes. Generation Z, those born from 1994 on, comes with negative attributes including a short attention span, poor interpersonal communication skills, apathetic nature, and social callousness. This one-dimensional judgment has not stopped Generation Z from creating poignant, engaging art.

A collaborative art installation inspired by a study of the everyday lives of long-term cancer survivors.