SELECTED CALENDAR ITEMS

January 14-May 30-Exhibit Tigers to Butterflies: Chinese Children's Clothing 1880’s-1930’s, University of Michigan Exhibit Museum of Natural History. Traditional Chinese children's clothing was both beautiful and functional. Representations of tigers and other fierce animals, and auspicious symbols were embroidered or appliquéd onto hats, shoes, and jackets to protect children from harm. This exhibit features late 19th to 20th century children's garments from the U-M Museum of Anthropology's extensive collections of Asian textiles January 15-May 15-Exhibition Quilts and Human Rights, Michigan State University Museum. This exhibition explores the role that quilt makers have played in raising awareness of human rights issues around the world and the power of textiles to communicate important ideas and information. The exhibition will feature inspiring and often provocative quilts made to document and express transgressions of human rights, to educate others about human rights issues, and to pay tribute to leaders of human rights movements. January 17-June 1-Exhibit Bob the Builder- Project: Build It, Grand Rapids Children’s Museum. The 2,000 square-foot exhibit replicates elements from Bob the Builder’s world, inviting exploration, inspiring teamwork and bringing environmentally-friendly building themes to life for children and families. The exhibit invites families to spend time in Sunflower Valley with Bob the Builder, Wendy and the rest of the Can-Do crew. Children can practice their own fixing with kid-smart activities that build up their can-do attitudes. Families can also work together to install new parts to sinks in Bob the Builder’s mobile home and in his building workshop, and learn about water conservation. Children and their families can help Bob build the vehicle shelter and experiment with tools in Bob’s building workshop. January 19-April 19-Exhibition Barbie: Dolls Empowering Generations of Girls, Birmingham Historical Museum and Park. This exhibit presents the social history and trivia about the Barbie doll. The Barbie doll was first introduced to the world at the American Toy Fair in New York City and was intended to be a teenage fashion doll. Despite some initial controversy about Barbie’s figure, the doll quickly became a favorite for girls and Barbie’s many fashions chronicled the styles of the day. These dolls, representing more than just toys, gave girls a chance to dream about a future with endless possibilities and opportunities. Area collector Helen Mamalakis shares her collection of dolls, including one of the earliest from 1961. January 19-April 20-Exhibition Treasure!, Alfred P. Sloan Museum. Unearth the world of Treasure! From sunken treasure to those we find in our very homes to places as complex as the night sky, treasures are all around us. Explore actual shipwreck and gold rush treasures. Experience the lore, people and tools of treasure hunting from bygone eras, the latest technologies and more! January 20-April 13-Exhibition Timeless Warriors & Relics: 1500 Years of Ancient China, Alden B. Dow Museum of Science and Art. Rarely seen outside of China, this exhibition features two life-sized terracotta warriors from the tomb of first Chinese Emperor Qin Shihuang, and a broad selection of relics rich in ceramics, with examples of bronze, silver, copper and jade. The relics range from sculptural figures of humans and animals to vessels, architectural elements, utilitarian objects and weaponry. The artifacts principally represent the Qin, Tang and Han dynasties, with additional representations from the Eastern Zhou and Jin Dynasties, as well as numerous examples from the Spring and Autumn Periods. January 26-April 6-Exhibition Sosaku Hanga: The Modern Japanese Print, The Holland Museum. For many, the term "Japanese print" conjures up detailed images of Japanese geishas, kimonos, and vast land- and waterscapes. These images come from the ukiyo-e (floating world) print movement that was the central art genre in Japan from the 17th century to the 20th century. With Japan's opening to the outside world in 1853, Japanese artists began looking to Western art, and slowly transitioned to a new art form. The devastating effects of War World II proved to be the dramatic turning point in the development of Japanese artists and their art, and from it came the sosaku hanga (creative print) movement. On exhibition are thirty-nine prints, representing some of Japan's most renowned sosaku hanga artists. January 31-April 27-Exhibit Fragmentation & Unity: The Art of Sari Khoury, The Arab American National Museum. Sari Khoury’s abstract art and profound thinking have left a significant imprint on the minds of viewers and the many students he nurtured during three decades as an instructor. More than two dozen late Khoury works, including his previously unseen final painting, will be on display. Khoury left Jerusalem at age 17 and earned his MFA at Cranbrook Academy of Art. His long career at Central Michigan University included a stint leading its Art Department. Also a prolific writer and speaker, Khoury’s words will share the gallery with his art works. February 2-May 11-Exhibit National Geographic MAPS: Tools for Adventure, Public Museum of Grand Rapids. Come explore this adventurous exhibit through hands on activities, discover exciting explorers, hear their stories and learn how to read and make maps. This exciting traveling exhibit is perfect for families, school groups and kids of all ages. Highlights include - navigating through Egyptian tombs, visit Explorers School, learn to dress like an explorer, interactive computer games and simulators and more! February 13-March 26-Exhibit Schindler, Frankenmuth Historical Museum. This exhibition tells the story of Oskar Schindler, the German-Catholic industrialist and rescuer of Jews during the Holocaust who was the subject of the film Schindler's List. Following the Nazi invasion of Poland in 1939, Schindler moved to Krakow and established an enamel works on the city's outskirts in Zablocie. That factory became a haven for about 900 Jewish workers, providing them relief from the brutality of the Plaszow labor camp nearby. In October 1944, Schindler was granted permission to relocate his enamel works to Bruennlitz, Czechoslovakia (this time as an armaments factory) and to take with him the Jewish workers from Zablocie. Through negotiations and bribes that depleted his war profits, Schindler was able to transfer more than 1,000 Jewish workers from Plaszow, ensuring their humane treatment and ultimately saving their lives. February 15-April 6-Exhibition Rooted in Tradition: Art Quilts from the Rocky Mountain Quilt Museum, Krasl Art Center. This exhibition chronicles the history of the art quilt movement from 1980 through the present and brings the quilt decisively from the bed to the wall. The sixty-four quilts in this collection reflect the change from the traditional craft of quilt-making based on the repeated block to the free spirited, sometimes edgy art form of today. April 5-July 6-Exhibit Sculptures of Kim Monnier, Besser Museum for Northeast Michigan. Kim Monnier’s sculpture blends his two early influences into one great passion – sculpture. Influenced as a child by his grandfathers, a carpenter and a machinist, Kim blends both skills in his art, a unique talent for combining brass, copper, and aluminum with fine woods. Sometimes abstract, sometimes realist, Kim’s sculptures are always magnificent. Beginning April 8-Exhibition Beyond Barbie: Dolls, Dress and Culture in Global Perspective, Central Michigan University Museum of Cultural and Natural History. This exhibition showcases more than 100 dolls in native dress from 60 different countries around the globe. Most of the dolls are clothed in costumes representing national traditions, regional identity or local vocations. Some are "character dolls" illustrating cultural folkways or folktales. The exhibition is composed of a selection from over 300 dolls recently acquired from the estate of Barbara Bissot. Ms. Bissot, who taught elementary school in Rowe Hall in the 1960's when it was the university's lab school, collected local dolls as souvenirs of her world travels. More than 60 different nations are represented in the collection.