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Two University of Kansas museums are highlighting global connections this summer with exhibitions tied to the World Cup games in the Kansas City area.
The Spencer Museum of Art is presenting “Welcoming the World to Lawrence,” featuring 30 artworks representing teams that will play or stay nearby, including Algeria, Argentina, Austria, Curaçao, Ecuador, England, the Netherlands and Tunisia. The collection will be on view through July 12 at the gallery, 1301 Mississippi St.
Among the featured works are three recently acquired photographs from Algerian artist Lazhar Mansouri. The Algerian men’s team is training at Rock Chalk Park in Lawrence this summer.
Also on view at the museum’s Brosseau Learning Center is Match des personnes handicapées Africa & Europe (Match of African and European Handicapped People) by Mouscou from the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
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The museum is offering programming related to the installation, including a gallery talk at 10:15 a.m. Thursday, June 11.
Visitors can also participate in a soccer-themed art-making activity from 1 to 4 p.m. Saturday, June 13, where kids and adults can create 3D paper soccer balls inspired by the installation.
To accommodate international visitors, the Spencer Museum has developed self-guided tours and gallery activities in English, French, Spanish and Arabic.
The KU Natural History Museum recently opened “Collections from Around the World,” a temporary exhibit showcasing dozens of biological specimens from eight research divisions within the Biodiversity Institute, many of which were previously undisplayed.
Curated by museum staff, researchers and students, the exhibit presents specimens from countries including Algeria, Argentina, Austria, Curaçao, England, Ecuador, the Netherlands and Tunisia. Labels are translated into Arabic, German and Spanish to make the exhibit more accessible to international visitors.
Arranged in the style of a “cabinet of curiosity,” the specimens include the Austral catfish; a freshwater ray-finned fish found in Central and South America; a herbarium sheet of Heart-leaved saussurea; and fossils including an armadillo from Argentina dating to the Miocene Epoch.
The Biodiversity Institute’s natural history collection includes more than 13 million biological specimens and archaeological artifacts, ranking it among the 30 largest collections in the world. The exhibit will remain on view through July 27 at Dyche Hall, 1345 Jayhawk Blvd.
Both exhibits aim to connect global audiences through art, science and shared cultural experiences through the World Cup.
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