Main Gallery
Village Arts Gallery
Mundoville Gallery
Virtual Exhibit
Losel Doll Collection
Main Gallery
Collections: Unexpected Treasures
February 2 – May 25, 2024
Examining the mentality and role of the accumulation of objects, Collections: Unexpected Treasures debuts Feb. 2 at the Global Village Museum of Arts and Cultures with free admission from 5-8 pm as part of First Friday Art Walk. The grand opening presentation will begin at 6 pm.
“Humans as well as animals have a desire to collect,” said Seraina Gessler, who is curating the exhibit with her husband, Johannes Gessler, and Marilyn Pierson. “What are the different things that people collect? And what is the purpose of saving or stockpiling a particular item?”
The Main Gallery exhibition will showcase a variety of unusual collections, including shark’s teeth, combs, rocks, thimbles, Cooper’s tools, scrap metal transformed into artwork, stone axes, rare fireworks from the 1930s, arrowheads, local and international masks, barbed wire, music boxes, and African baskets. Pictures of huge trolls, designed by Thomas Dumbo from discarded wood, will highlight what can be created from collected old pallets.
The exhibition, which runs through May 25, will broaden our assumptions and perceptions of what constitutes a collection. Visitors will also learn about the unexpected treasures of celebrities and famous people.
Village Arts Gallery
Permanent Exhibit
The Village Arts Gallery is the home to world folk art, fine art, and artifacts, all donated by local collectors and founding members. The collection represents ancient, traditional, and contemporary cultures with an emphasis on Africa, Asia, and Oceania. The gallery was dedicated to our late founder, John E. Roberts, on October 15, 2023, and formally named the John E. Roberts Village Arts Gallery.
Mundoville Gallery
International Folk Art in Miniatures
Permanent Exhibit
The recently updated Mundoville Gallery of International Folk Art in Miniature features the world in miniature. The collection was donated by the late Jeanne Nash, a founding member of the Museum. Nash donated her entire collection which comprises over 21 miniature houses, multiple small-scale scene replications, and hundreds of international folk dolls representing eras, people, and cultures from around the globe. In addition, there are numerous related life-size items. Many items in the collection are handmade from natural materials.
Virtual Exhibit
Genghis Khan and the Empire He Created
Genghis Khan and the Empire He Created is a joint effort between the Global Village Museum and the Department of History at Colorado State University. The exhibit, which stems from a course – The Mongol Empire – taught in the fall of 2020 by Professor Eli Alberts, challenges the standard view of the Mongols as a purely destructive force on the world stage.
Losel Doll Collection
The Losel Doll House
Losel Dolls were made in the 1980s and 90s by Buddhist monks living in exile in India. This collection, one of the largest in the country, was donated by Jeanne Nash, who bought the Dolls and had them shipped from India over a span of 20 years. Jeanne’s passion for preserving culture and educating about global customs and traditions is exemplified in this incredible collection of Tibetan ethnic and monastic dolls. Thank you, Jeanne, for your passion, artistic spirit, and unique collection.