Ritual and Art

The gallery is closed Sundays and Mondays.

A hidden gem on the Cal Lutheran campus, the Ellsworth La Boyteaux Collection of New Guinea Artifacts has not been exhibited for decades. The current exhibition includes Abelam ancestral spirit figures (nggwalndu)and Kwona bark paintings, along with other sculpture, masks, a canoe prow, items of personal adornment and utilitarian objects. Pieces on display come from the Abelam region of Papua New Guinea in the Prince Alexander Mountains and the surrounding area.

The collection is noteworthy for both quality and breadth. Held by the Pearson Library, it contains more than 150 objects collected in the early to mid-1960s from various groups in the East and West Sepik provinces. Some pieces were created for foreign consumption, reflecting a shift in art production as indigenous cultures began to encounter Westerners with regularity. However, unlike other collections whose pieces show significant revision by artists after removal from the field, often to increase their appeal to Westerners, this collection has been largely untouched.

A reception will be held from 5 to 7 p.m. Friday, March 11.

Admission is free. Made possible through the support of the Cal Lutheran Pearson Library. The gallery, located in William Rolland Stadium, is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday.

Image: Wooden suspension hook of female figure, mid-20th century