The Museum's exhibits are the product of collaboration by many members of the greater West Chester University community. Exhibit development involves substantive planning by student co-curators in West Chester University's Museum Studies Program, collaboration with faculty experts across disciplines and departments on campus, expert input from guest collaborators who also act as content advisors, and, of course, interactions with our welcomed visitors.
Current ExhibitIONS
Roaring in Secret: Subversion and Change in the 1920s
November 15, 2024 – December 31, 2025
Opening reception: November 15, 2024 6:00 pm
This exhibition examines the simultaneously secret and subversive nature of the 1920s—from its art, music and literature to its technological inventions, from its economic boom to its bust, from suffrage to flapper culture, Prohibition to immigration. Authentic artifacts illustrate the ways in which innovations, inventions, and pop cultural movements in the 1920s fostered lasting change on American society. Immersive and engaging, the exhibition is contained within a recreation of a typical 1920s apartment, complete with authentic, period furniture and rare artifacts including flapper dresses, Art Deco jewelry, first edition books, toys, and 1920s household inventions such as toasters, radios, telephones and record players! Artifacts from the West Chester State Techers College are featured, as are never-before-seen photos of revelers, immigrants and gangsters. While exploring the apartment, find clues to locate a secret passage to our very own interactive speakeasy, with an authentic slot machine, bar and glassware, and even unopened prescription whisky bottles from the era! A stage will host student jazz bands throughout the run of the exhibition, and visitors can even try their hand at playing a recreated theremin!
The opening reception will include food and prohibition-era drinks from the period, accompanied by music from the Jazz Age. Wear your best 1920s-era outfit to the party!
Surrounded by the Spirits: Paul Stoller and the Songhay Journey Towards Wellbeing
September 29, 2023 – December 1, 2024
Honoring the life work of renowned anthropologist Paul Stoller, Surrounded by the Spirits: Paul Stoller and the Songhay Journey Towards Wellbeing invites us to experience the culture of West Africa, and gain profound insights into holistic healing practices that place us in harmony with the social, natural and spiritual worlds. With rare artifacts from Niger and Ghana, the exhibition examines the varied healing practices of the Songhay people of Niger—including spirit possession, witchcraft and divination, Islamic religious devotion, and traditional medicine. A second retrospective gallery looks at the life of Stoller, who trained as a Songhay sorcerer’s apprentice, conducted urban ethnography among the West African diaspora, and is internationally recognized for his evocative and accessible writing style. A professor of anthropology at West Chester University for his entire career, Stoller is the author of nearly 15 books and the recipient of numerous awards including the Anders Retzius Medal given by the King of Sweden, the highest honor in anthropology.
View Surrounded by the Spirits: Paul Stoller and the Songhay Journey Towards Wellbeing
Virtual ExhibitIONS
Lënapeyok: Contemporary Artisans’ Works
February 28, 2024 – April 29, 2024
Meet the Artist: February 28, 2024 3:30-5:00 pm
This special pop-up exhibition, guest curated by Lenape artist Ben Miller, features an exciting range of traditional and contemporary style works by noted Lenape artists from across the United States. The exhibition emphasizes the persistence and vibrancy of Lenape arts and crafts. A special “Meet the Artist” event opens the exhibition on February 28.
Ben Scott Miller is a graduate of the Academy of Art University San Francisco, an enrolled citizen of the Delaware Tribe of Indians, and registered Lenape artist. During this Meet the Artist event, learn about his upcoming residency to create a public art mural in the Sykes Student Union, and the traditional and contemporary Lenape art and style on exhibit at the Museum of Anthropology and Archaeology’s special pop-up exhibition Lenapeyok: Contemporary Artisans’ Works.
Beyond the Bell: Philadelphia’s Global Heritage
October 7, 2022 – December 1, 2023
In partnership with the Global Philadelphia Association, this special exhibition celebrates the 50th anniversary of UNESCO’s World Heritage Convention by exploring the rich heritage of Philadelphia. Philadelphia’s Independence Hall and its famed Liberty Bell was one of the U.S.’ first World Heritage sites, deemed to be of universal human value for its importance in the creation of the world’s first Enlightenment-era Republic. However, the exhibition delves beyond this colonial narrative to show that Philadelphia’s global heritage is the result of continuous interactions of diverse communities over time.
Earth Day at 50: Lessons for a Sustainable Future
Celebrating the 50th anniversary of the establishment of Earth Day, the Museum of Anthropology and Archaeology's exhibition, Earth Day at 50: Lessons for a Sustainable Future, explores past and present environmental activism both nationally and locally, the reality of the current global climate crisis, and sustainable practices for a livable future. Open Mon-Friday 9 am - 5 p.m.
VIEW EARTH DAY AT 50: LESSONS FOR A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE EXHIBITITION
WCU 150: History and Heritage
A once-in-a-lifetime experience! In celebration of West Chester University’s sesquicentennial anniversary, WCU 150: History and Heritage takes visitors on an exciting exploration of our first 150 years. The exhibition traces the university’s origins as a Normal School training high school-aged elementary teachers after the Civil War, to a State Teacher’s College in the Roaring ‘20s, to a comprehensive, fully public liberal arts university that has become one of the largest and most successful in Pennsylvania. Through hundreds of rarely seen artifacts, visitors will understand the university’s transformations in academics, student life, and diversity / inclusion. An interactive see-through Time Capsule caps the experience, and all are encouraged to leave their own objects for future generations!
