"Museum of Anthropology" Archive

Wake Forest Museum of Anthropology receives naming gift

The following is a guest post from the Wake Forest University Museum of Anthropology.

Headshot of Wake Forest University alumnus Timothy S. Y. Lam (’60)In 2012, Wake Forest alumnus Timothy S. Y. Lam (’60) donated his collection of more than 500 pieces of Tang Dynasty Chinese ceramics to the Museum of Anthropology shortly before he passed away. The collection is the largest and most comprehensive group of artifacts in the United States from the Changsha kilns, an important archaeological site linked to the medieval Silk Roads. Since the donation, two long-term exhibitions have focused on this world-class collection, and individual pieces have been featured in several additional exhibits.

This year, Mr. Lam’s family continued the spirit of his original gift. Ellen Lam, his wife, and their sons, Tim Jr. (’93) and Marcus (’98) created a new academic excellence fund for the Museum. The Museum will be renamed the Timothy S. Y. Lam Museum of Anthropology in honor of Tim Sr. and the Lam family’s support of our mission.

This gift is transformational for the Museum. MOA Academic Director Dr. Andrew Gurstelle said, “We will be able to pursue new projects that wouldn’t be feasible if not for this support. The Timothy S. Y. Lam Collection is a perfect example. Several years ago, we entered into a Memorandum of Understanding with the Changsha Museum in Hunan, China, to collaborate on research into medieval Chinese pottery. A co-curated traveling exhibit was discussed, but it was hard to imagine being able to shoulder an expense like that, even with willing partners. Funding for new projects like this can now be realized.”

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Categories: Guest PostInside WFU

WFU Hackathon to explore blockchain’s potential in tracking art objects

In 2005, hundreds of earthenware pots and other pre-Columbian artifacts from ancient West Mexico became part of the collections of Wake Forest University’s Museum of Anthropology. Close-up photograph of keys on a laptop keyboardThe pieces included 162 complete ceramic vessels, ceramic figurines, greenstone beads and necklaces, an obsidian spear and arrow points, knives and grinding stones.

An effigy bowl from this Western Mexican Collection is one of three cultural objects inspiring a Blockchain challenge in the upcoming Wake Forest Hackathon March 6 and 7. Others include a Fijian oil bowl discovered by the 18th Century British explorer Captain James Cook, and antiquities from sites in Southwest Niger.

In its fourth year, the WFU Hackathon is organized and hosted by Wake Forest computer science students. Undergraduate and graduate students nationwide are invited to participate in this year’s remote event to explore ways that blockchain technology can aid in the historical tracking and restitution of cultural property. Blockchain is a system of recording information in a way that makes it difficult – if not impossible – to change, hack or cheat the system.

What the students discover may help museums and art collectors worldwide.

Faculty and staff are invited to join in. More details are available on the Wake Forest University news site and at https://wakehacks.cs.wfu.edu/.

Staff and faculty milestones April 2018

See a list of staff and faculty milestones for April 2018:

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Categories: Faculty NewsStaff News

Comings and goings for April 2017

See a list of employees joining and leaving the University in April 2017:

Comings:

Atkins, Christina Richards; Director of Records; Advancement: Gifts/Records
Barricelli, James R; Executive Director; WFUSB-MA Program Admin
Chen, Chunyan; Adjunct; ITS – Chinese
Craddock, Cory James; Security Officer; University Police
Gellar-Goad, Jake Alexander; Administrative Assistant; Wake Forest Scholars
Hardy, Montel Nicholas; Recruiting Asst – Fellowship; Athletics: Football
Harrell, Stormy Lynne; Collections Manager; Anthropology: Museum
Heffner, Steven Miller; Staff Physician I; Student Health Service
Hough, Ashley; Security Officer; University Police
Inzko, Hannah Ivy; Director Academic Technology; IS: CIO
Jackson, Aldeen Hiawatha; Shuttle Driver; Parking & Transportation
Johnson, Joseph Nathanael; Police Officer; University Police
Jones, Patrick Neal; Game Day Assistant; Athletics: Game Day Operations
Onocha, Immanuela Akpesiri; EHS Specialist; EHS
Owen, Courtney Leigh; Assistant Coach; Athletics: Soccer – Women
Parks, Michael Paul; Service Technician; FACS: Maintenance Team 2
Phillips, Harriet; Law Exam Monitor; Law: Registrar’s Office
Pilcher, Jennifer Marie; Desk Clerk; Graylyn: Rooms
Scales, Jessica LeAnn; Case Manager; Office of Dean of Students
Smith, Mackenzie Shea; Assistant Director, Multimedia; Athletics: Multimedia
Taylor, Cordeshia Sharae; Shuttle Driver; Parking & Transportation
Tedder, Gregory R; Police Officer; University Police
Van Dorsten, Katherine B; Special Projects Coordinator; Strategy and Operations
Wooten, Randi Lauren; Police Officer; University Police

Goings:

Ballard, Brett Lee; Athletics: Basketball – Men
Benford, Carol Ann; Dean of Wake Forest College
Byrd, Kelsey Irene; Graylyn: Rooms
Childress, Heather McBride; WFU Art Collections
Fauser, Nancy Elaine; Biology
Gantt, Donald Reed; FACS: Custodial Services
Hart, Sherman R.; Reynolda House: Facilities
Hart, Wanda K.; Reynolda House: Facilities
Hennessey, Millicent Scotten; President’s Office
Jessee, Megan E.; Athletics: Soccer – Women
Jones, Marc Francis; FACS: Custodial Services
Murphrey, Gracely; Athletics: Sports Marketing
Ridge, Jane Overly; IS: Infrastructure
Stokes, Loyd Wade; Advancement: National Major Gifts
Thore, Katherine Ebert; Law: Elder Clinic
Verheyen, Jason Frederic; IS: Client Services
Waddell, Kaitlin Starr; Reynolda House: Store
Wilson, Daniel M.; IS: Infrastructure
Ziegler, McKenzie Elizabeth; Advancement: National Major Gifts

Museum of Anthropology opens exhibit on youth culture

This is a guest post from the Museum of Anthropology:Childhood-Mary-Good

What do children play with in Mexico? How do kids in Somalia learn to read? The Museum of Anthropology’s new long-term exhibit, “Childhood: Exploring Youth Culture Around the World,” answers these and other questions about children’s lives around the globe.

Among the featured artifacts are an early 20th century Chinese doll in the image of a famous opera singer and a Senegalese lunchbox lined with newspaper comic strips. The exhibit also includes a section for visitors to share comments about their memorable childhood experiences.

The exhibition was developed from the work of a Wake Forest class, “Anthropology of Childhood,” taught by Assistant Professor of Anthropology  Mary Good during the spring 2015 semester. Under Good’s direction, the students each selected objects from the museum’s collections in the categories of children’s clothing, education, dolls, games or toys. The students researched their artifacts and wrote label text.

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