Wellin Museum Survey Explores Animal Iconography Across Cultures

From September 7, 2024, to June 8, 2025, the Wellin Museum of Art at Hamilton College will host 'Menagerie: Animals in Art from the Wellin Museum.' This exhibition showcases a vast array of artworks and artifacts from the museum's collection, ranging from ancient to modern times, to explore the various symbolic, cultural, ceremonial, religious, decorative, and satirical roles of animal imagery in human expression. Curated by Dr. Elizabeth Shannon, the display features pieces from ancient Egypt, Greece, Rome, Mesoamerica, the Andes, medieval and Renaissance Europe, as well as East Asian textiles, Persian manuscripts, and contemporary global art. Notable contemporary artists include Julie Buffalohead and Shahzia Sikander, while historical figures such as Francisco de Goya and Albrecht Dürer are also represented. Shannon emphasizes that the ongoing depiction of animals in art highlights their significant roles in human existence, prompting contemplation on our interdependence with them and the pressures faced by shared ecosystems.