Museums at W&L: Winter 2024 Programs and Exhibitions The Museums at W&L invite the public to explore its exhibitions and collections with select programming through May.

By Emily Innes
January 17, 2024

The Museums at W&L is currently hosting three temporary exhibitions that will run through Winter Term 2024. All three exhibits are free and open to the public.

“Mohammad Omer Khalil: Musings” is on view at Watson Galleries through June 1 and features the work of Sudanese American artist Mohammad Omer Khalil, a master printmaker, painter and teacher. The exhibit was co-curated by four Washington and Lee undergraduate students.

“Open Flowers Bear Fruit” is on view in the McCarthy Gallery in Holekamp Hall through May 31. The exhibit is an ongoing project by visual still life artist Stephanie Shih that claims space for Asian diaspora cultural history by opening an overdue dialogue between Eurocentric-dominated art spaces and Asian diaspora experiences.

“Curricular Connections: Teaching with the Museums’ Collections” is on view through April 13 in the Reeves Museum of Ceramics and demonstrates the Museums’ ongoing commitment to its teaching mission, highlighting recent acquisitions that support courses across the university’s curriculum.

Beyond these ongoing exhibits, the Museums at W&L will host various programs and events throughout the semester that encourage engagement with the Museums’ collections and facilitate an interdisciplinary appreciation of art, history and culture.

Collage-Making Workshop @ Watson Galleries | Jan. 18, 5:30-6:30 p.m.
Join the student curators of “Musings” in a collage-making session that will combine paper, fabrics, stamps and inspiration drawn from Mohammad Omer Khalil’s exhibition to create 2024 vision boards. All are welcome, and RSVP is recommended: calendly.com/mwlu/collage-making-workshop.

Museum Talk with Jamaal Sheats @ Northen Auditorium, Leyburn Library | Jan. 29, 5:30-6:30 p.m.
Jamaal Sheats, associate provost for arts and culture and assistant professor of art at Fisk University, and director and curator of Fisk University Galleries, will deliver a lecture titled “Arts Leadership in the 21st Century.” In his talk, Sheats will offer insights into his role as an arts leader, reflecting on the role of academic museums as catalysts for change and the enduring impact of the Fisk University Galleries’ groundbreaking exhibition, “African Modernism in America,” the first major traveling exhibition to examine the complex connections between modern African artists and American patrons, artists and cultural organizations. The lecture is free and open to the public.

Museum Talk with Rachel Du @ Northen Auditorium, Leyburn Library | Mar. 25, 5:30-6:30 p.m.
Rachel Du, a Chinese art specialist and porcelain expert at Bonhams auction house, will deliver a lecture titled “Beyond Brushstrokes: Navigating the Evolution of the Chinese Art Market.” This talk will delve into the history of Chinese art collecting in the West, shedding light on the contributions of Gilded Age millionaires, missionaries and art dealers who played key roles in establishing significant Chinese art collections outside of East Asia. Du will provide valuable insight into the current Chinese art market and how geopolitical factors, such as the impact of COVID-19, influence the market. The lecture is free and open to the public.

Lunch and Learn: Stories of Migration @ Reeves Museum of Ceramics | Select Mondays This Winter, Noon-1 p.m.
The Museums at W&L will host “Lunch and Learn,” a series of short informal lectures held in the Reeves Museum of Ceramics that explore stories of migration, diaspora and identity. All are welcome, and the Museums will provide a light lunch and refreshments. Seating is limited and RSVP is required.

• Feb. 5: Stories of Migration with Patricia Hardin, adjunct instructor of Italian and visiting instructor of German. Register at calendly.com/mwlu/stories-of-migration-with-patricia-hardin.
• March 4: Stories of Migration with Aseel Atalla, Fulbright Arabic teaching assistant. Register at calendly.com/mwlu/stories-of-migration-with-aseel-atalla.
• April 1: Stories of Migration with Fio Giraldo Prado de Lewis, senior program coordinator in W&L’s Office of Inclusion and Engagement. Register at calendly.com/mwlu/stories-of-migration-with-fio-giraldo-prado-de-lewis.

CramSesh Quiet Study @ Reeves Museum of Ceramics | Midterms and Finals Week, 9 a.m.-6 p.m.
The Museums at W&L invites students to elevate their study game in an inspiring and focused environment. Quiet and art-filled, the Reeves Museum of Ceramics is perfect for a cram session before midterms and finals. Grab a study spot and enjoy access to snacks, power and extension cords, and school supplies.

Quiet study will be available for W&L students Feb. 19-22 from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., and April 15-18 from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Celebrate Earth Month! @ Leyburn Library | April 9, 5-6 p.m.
This April the Museums at W&L and the Office of Sustainability will celebrate Earth Month with a pop-up exhibition in Leyburn Library co-curated by students involved in sustainability work across campus, followed by a light reception. Students will reflect on artworks they have selected that speak to our life on Earth: what we love, what we need, and how we fathom the future. The exhibit is free and open to the public.

Slow Art Day 2024 @ McCarthy Gallery, Holekamp Hall | April 13, 11 a.m.-2 p.m.
The Museums at W&L is proud to be a venue for Slow Art Day 2024, a global event that aims to help more people discover the joy of looking at and loving art. This year, participants will practice looking at the still-life photographs by Stephanie Shih in her exhibit, “Open Flowers Bear Fruit.”

The Museums at W&L are open to the public Wednesday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. The Museums are open administratively to the campus community only at the Reeves Museum of Ceramics on Mondays and Tuesdays. To learn more about the 2023-24 exhibitions, visit the Museums at W&L’s website.