Works of all times and materials at college museum

Art and history lovers in Queens do not have to travel to Manhattan to look at breathtaking, diverse and culturally significant works of art. The Godwin-Ternbach Museum, located at Queens College, is running an exhibition titled "Wunderkammer I: Simple Pleasures" that seeks to reveal the breadth and vitality of manmade objects among diverse cultures across a period of over five thousand years.

"I was fascinated by the juxtaposition of bringing objects together from different cultures," said Louise Weinberg, the museum's co-director, curator and director of exhibitions and collections. Weinberg organized "Wunderkammer" by carefully sifting through the museum's collection of over 7,000 objects and artifacts.

"It's encyclopedic," she said of the collection. "It was hard to pick what to display, but I focused on bringing a variety of pieces out. We’re not telling their stories, but letting the viewer make associations based on how they perceive the objects."

The exhibition's main purpose was to honor the mission and values of Frances Gray Godwin and Joseph Ternbach, the namesakes and founders of the museum. Godwin was a beloved professor of medieval art and Ternbach a renowned art restorer. They were both extremely passionate about sharing the intricacies and history of art. Through the collaboration of its founders, the museum was able to attract donations from world-class art collectors. Today, Godwin-Ternbach keeps the legacy of its founders alive by embracing a teaching aspect. "We want to reach out and bring students in, along with the public," Weinberg shared. "We often have classes throughout Queens College come in and use our objects as a teaching collection. Students are able to handle and study works of art without constraints."

While the museum is open to the public, it normally only operates while college classes are in session. However, even though school is out, "Wunderkammer" welcomes visitors over the summer. The exhibition is located in the museum's lobby, while the rest of the museum is closed off until the fall exhibitions are ready.

"Wunderkammer" contains over 80 objects, ranging from antiquities to modern art. There are multiple display cases, each focusing on different materials, such as wood, ceramics, ivory and bone, metals and glass and stone ("Wunderkammer" means cabinet of wonders in German). Highlights include the ivory and bone display, where spiritual images are carved into ivory sculptures.

"I was interested in thinking about the idea that ivory was always a precious object and used mostly for spiritual reasons," Weinberg explained. "Today, we can look at these objects and understand they came from a spiritual place, but we know we have to think about it differently due to what we have done to animals with tusks and bone. Conservation of resources is important, and we have to think about the pillaging of taking away from nature."

Other highlights include a marriage coffret from 14th-century Italy (donated by Ternbach in honor of Godwin), an Egyptian canopic jar with a painted face, which was used by ancient Egyptians to store and preserve organs during mummification, a Japanese figurine with a movable head from the Momoyama Period, original sculptures by artist Chaim Gross, a bundle of Kissi pennies from Africa and a sculpture made of real eggshells and lacquer on copper.

"In all of these displays, you see the universality of symbolism and how people honor their culture through common objects for personal use," Weinberg commented. "We are the only collection of this type in the borough of Queens. There is no other comprehensive collection like ours — I like to call us a hidden jewel."

"Wunderkammer I: Material Pleasures" is on display through Jan. 11, 2024. Support is provided by the Milton & Sally Avery Arts Foundation, NYC Department of Cultural Affairs, Kupferberg Center for the Arts and Queens College, CUNY. For more information, visit gtmuseum.org.

QueensChronicle.com

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