Students in Ivette Vargas-O’Bryan’s “Mapping Cultures: Tibet” digital humanities course will debut their exhibit and project presentation at the Crow Collection of Asian Art (CCAA) in Dallas on April 12 from 7 to 9 p.m.
Sponsored by the Mellon Foundation Digital Humanities planning grant, this event is the culmination of interdisciplinary and inquiry-based learning in Vargas-O’Bryan’s religion course with a focus on Tibetan and other Asian cultural interactions and cultural preservation.
Throughout the semester, in collaboration with staff at the Crow Collection of Asian Art in Dallas and international art and cultural preservation organizations abroad, students have worked to develop projects that utilize digital tools and media technology to understand Tibetan cultural traditions from diverse perspectives.
Last year, Vargas-O’Bryan’s approached the Crow Collection of Asian Art director, Amy Hofland, to collaborate on the use of technology for learning about Tibetan culture. The result is a co-curated exhibit of bronzes juxtaposing digital displays developed by students on the web publishing site Omeka and using iPads and QR codes.
“Taking Shape: Perspectives on Asian Bronzes” at the CCAA is an evolving exhibit utilizing art objects, film, and research.
Student Projects:
- 3D simulation of collection objects with UNITY game development program
- Interactive map with all media and objects
- Interaction with museum audiences through QR code
- Digital storytelling video of collaborators
Archives:
1) “Have Brush, Will Travel”: The Newar People’s Permanent Influence on Tibetan Art, An Interview with Naresh Shakya with art work and films,
2) Tibetan music in English and Tibetan from the Plateau Culture Heritage Protection Group and interview with anthropologist Dr. Gerald Roche, the founder of the project as a music cultural preservation project,
3) Annotated Bibliographies on diverse topics relating to Tibetan culture.
By the end of the course, all projects will be available on Omeka.
Collaborators:
– Crow Collection of Asian Art (Dallas, Texas)
– Plateau Culture Heritage Protection Group (PCHP, China)
– Dr. Gerald Roche (anthropologist, Qinghai Normal University, China)
– Naresh Shakya (art collector and artist; art history Ph.D. candidate, Nepal)
– Rubin Museum of Art Foundation and Museum staff (New York)
– Dawa Drolma and Wendekar, Independent filmmakers (China)
– Palyul Changchub Dhargyayling Dallas
– Lama Tashi Nyima
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