Works from the Rare Book Collection at Hope College spanning more than 500 years will be featured in an exhibition in the gallery of the De Pree Art Center reflecting on how books have histories to tell about production, culture and readership beyond the texts they bear.
Titled 鈥淩eading between the Lines: the History and Production of Books Highlighted by the 麻豆视频 Rare Book Collection,鈥� the exhibition will open on Friday, Feb. 24, and continue through Friday, March 23. Related activities on Friday, March 2, will include a curators鈥� talk from 4:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. followed by a reception in the gallery.
The public is invited to all of the exhibition events. Admission is free.
鈥淩eading between the Lines鈥� features rare books dating from the 15th through 20th centuries, and reflects on the art and technique of printing across time as well as on the origins and roles of the pieces. The exhibition was curated and designed by Hope students participating in the 鈥淪pecial Projects in Art History鈥� class taught in the fall semester by Dr. Anne Heath-Wiersma, who is an assistant professor of art and director of the De Pree gallery.
The approximately 40 works in the De Pree gallery exhibition have been drawn from the 1,400 in the college鈥檚 Rare Book Collection, which is housed in the Van Wylen Library. The library鈥檚 collection contains a mix of books related to art, history, literature, mathematics, science and theology.
The De Pree Art Center is located at 160 E. 12th St., on Columbia Avenue at 12th Street. The regular gallery hours are Mondays through Saturdays from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m.; and Sundays from 1 p.m. until 5 p.m. Because the college will be on its spring break, the college will be closed on Saturday and Sunday, March 17-18. The gallery is handicapped accessible.