Objects of Wonder from The Ohio State University – on display at the Columbus Museum of Art from Sept. 26 through Jan. 11, 2009 – is a first for both institutions. The exhibition features fascinating objects culled from OSU libraries and museums along with items from buildings across the university’s sprawling campus.

“People will be stunned by the variety and importance of what’s at OSU,” says Melissa Wolfe, associate curator of the Columbus Museum of Art, “This is going to be a monster show.”

The exhibit weaves the pursuit of knowledge through the joy of artistic expression. Wolfe says roughly 400 to 500 objects will be on display. She says the goal of the organizers was to broaden the scope of what is considered art. Some items probably don’t even qualify as art in the traditional sense, making their value and meaning even more special. In a way the items represent sign posts of OSU’s journey from its humble beginnings in 1870 as the Ohio Agricultural and Mechanical College, to the dynamic, marquee institution of higher education that it is today.

The challenge to the curators was to answer some tough questions: What do these objects say? How can they be shown in a whole new light? While peeling back the layers of that proposition, the curators found themselves assembling a collection that reflects some of the social issues of the time.

Take the silk parachute wedding dress worn by an American bride in 1946 for instance. It’s a segment of the exhibition being produced by Gayle Strege, curator of OSU’s Historic Costume and Textile Collection. Strege says the dress tells a story about World War II.

“When the Germans were in retreat, they were setting fire to a lot of their supplies so Allied forces couldn’t get them,” says Strege, “An American paratrooper came across a hanger containing German jets that never got a chance to fly for the Luftwaffe. The soldier found a couple of parachutes in that hangar and brought them home as souvenirs.”

Because of a silk shortage back in the U.S. during the war, Allied parachutes were made of nylon. German and Japanese parachutes were made of silk. Upon his return to the United States, the GI’s mother suggested he use one of the parachutes to make a wedding dress for his bride. Strege says for $18 dollars, a tailor in Warren, Ohio made the dress and included the German manufacturer’s label in the gown to validate its authenticity. “You can still see some of the parachute stitches in this gown,” adds Strege, “Many of the items in this exhibit are just interesting objects in and of themselves.”

You’ll see everything from unpublished photographs of Marilyn Monroe, to Richard Petty’s sunglasses to John Glenn’s flight manual. “This is a wonderfully exciting partnership for the Museum,” says Nannette V. Maciejunes, executive director of the Columbus Museum of Art. “The opportunity to explore the incredible collections entrusted to OSU, and then share those treasures with the community, has been a remarkable experience for us. Working with the university on the exhibition has only enhanced our ongoing relationship.”

Objects of Wonder from The Ohio State University at the Columbus Museum of Art. Don’t miss it.

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