Art Library > About the Art Library > Art Library Exhibitions
Art Library Exhibitions
| Title | Description | Year |
| Books by Oberlin Students | This exhibit showcases artists' books made by Oberlin students. | 2001 |
| Towers and Trees | This exhibition featured poetry and artwork by Oberlin students, including poetry readings and gallery talks. | 2002 |
| Text and Image | This juried show features expressions and investigations exploring or inspired by the interrelationship of text and image. | 2003 |
| Infinite Curiosity | This show relates Johann Friedrich Oberlin's contributions to early childhood education to Clarence Ward's work as an educator and architect and the continued practice of object-based learning at Oberlin today. | 2004 |
| Books for the Grand Tour | This show examines the relationship of illustrated architectural books to the 17th and 18th century Grand Tour, an educational trip taken by young aristocrats. | 2005 |
| Unbinding Books | Featured artists' books from the Art Library collection purchased by the Oberlin College Friends of the Library. Also, unveiling of the Artists' Books Imagebase! | 2006 |
| The Woman Who Started It All | Professor of Medieval History Adelia Field Johnston was Oberlin's first woman professor and one of the first in the United States. Her tireless promotion of art as an academic discipline raised interest – and the money – to found the Allen Memorial Art Museum. Her legacy is the rich visual arts culture and support for women's education at Oberlin College. | 2007 |
| Envelope Art | This show spotlights several Special Collections in the Art Library: Poster stamps donated by Robert Biggert (OC ‘62), which date from the late 19th / early 20th century, and Artistamps from the Reid Wood (OC '70) and Harley mail art archives, dating from the second half of the twentieth century. | 2008 |
| Fall Mail Art Show | The Exhibition Initiative, a student curatorial group, was given the opportunity to share a selection of rarely seen works, highlighting specific moments and figures within the history of the “Eternal Network.” | 2010 |
| 19th Century Oberlin College Women: A Celebration | Suzanne Benton selected seventeen of the first women (and two graduating classes) who studied and taught at Oberlin College for the subjects of this series on exhibit. These prints convey the individual vitality of some of the first women to obtain a higher education in the United States and offer a personal view into Oberlin’s progressive history. | 2011 |
| Clarence Ward: Architect, Professor, Pastor | Clarence Ward was a practicing architect, beloved professor, local pastor, and researcher. The exhibition explored these and other facets of his life. | 2012 |
| In Solidarity | February 2013 was marked by a growing level of stress on campus, generated by a series of bias-based incidents. Displayed throughout the Art Library are photographs from Sela Miller, class of 2015, who captured the reactions to this challenge from studdents, faculty, staff and fellow citizens. | 2013 |
| <3" Handcrafted Mini Books | The Delaware Valley Chapter of the Guild of Book Workers showcased their talents in the Clarence Ward Art Library’s show <3" (three inches or less), handcrafted miniature books. Entries ranged in theme and content, as well as functionality and artistic innovation, but all fit within the show’s strict criteria: no more than three inches in height, width, or thickness. | 2014 |
| The Mail Art of Edgardo Antonio Vigo | The exhibition features Mail Artist Edgardio Antonio Vigo’s late work, created in the aftermath of Argentina’s “Dirty Wars” (1980s – 1990s). The exhibition is drawn from the Art Library’s extensive Oberlin College Mail Art Collection, which represents over 1,800 artists and includes more than 25,000 pieces. | 2015 |
| Book Art Fair |
The 2016 birthday party was held in conjunction with Oberlin Colleges Art Walk, a festival of student art work from the last semester. The celebration for 2016 was a focus on artists books and the bookseller Vamp & Tramp brought hundreds of books for students and community members to examine. | 2016 |
| Celebrating a Century | Cass Gilbert was Oberlin’s Campus Architect from 1902 to 1934. During his time here he designed many buildings, including the Allen Art Museum which celebrated its 100th birthday this year. Gilbert went on to design the Supreme Court Building in D.C. This exhibit explores his work and wide selection of influences. | 2017 |