William Hammond Mathers Museum

Purpose: Supporting Lifelong Learning "What Is Culture?" will be a major permanent exhibition, the centerpiece of the Mathers museum's activities for the next decade and beyond. The museum has developed the exhibition in response to a need for accessible, meaningful learning tools for understanding the power of the culture concept in a way that illuminates all human development. The exhibit will be divided into a small introductory area and a main hall. The first area prepares the visitor to experience the exhibit by introducing the concept of culture and describing the organization of the exhibit. The exhibIt's two main themes-stages of life and common needs-will be explored in the main hall through representations of two living areas: a Bloomington, Indiana, house and a Hausa dwelling from Nigeria. The stages of life are defined as birth and infancy, childhood, transition to adulthood, making a living, marriage, growing old, and death and the afterlife. Common needs include social organization, social control, food, shelter, clothing, religion, economic exchange, health and medicine, and human expression. Both themes emphasize that all people progress through life facing the same challenges. The artifacts that illustrate these themes focus on the great diversity in the way these challenges are met. While the exhibit as a whole will be permanent, regular changes will be made in the display areas in response to topical needs, new perspectives, and community and university input.