Special Collections Student Showcase Set for Nov. 19

Kara Flynn

Intro to Printmaking students look at examples of printmaking techniques in Special Collections

Join the University Libraries' Special Collections division for a Student Showcase at 5 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 19, in Mullins Library room 130. Students will present on the exhibits they've curated, art projects they've created and research projects they've completed using Special Collections materials. 

"Student learning is at the heart of all of what we do in Special Collections," said Joshua Youngblood, head of Special Collections Instruction and Outreach Services. "The student showcase is an exciting opportunity to share all of the hard work that students have been engaged in, from undergraduates being inspired by primary sources to create original art to graduate students honing research skills and professional expertise.

Megan York, a Master of Library Science student at the University of Oklahoma who interned in Special Collections this semester, will curate a pop-up exhibit on Southland College — the first institute of higher learning west of the Mississippi River for African Americans. 

"I'm originally from Oklahoma and didn't know much about Arkansas history," said York. "I've learned a lot while working here, especially about Southland and Commonwealth." 

Megan York (left) and Sam Ownbey. Photo by Kelsey Lovewell Lippard.

Samuel Ownbey, a graduate student in history who also serves as a graduate assistant in Special Collections, will present on his work and research with collections related to the Fulbright Program, including processing the papers of a former executive director of the U.S. Commission for Cultural Exchange with Iran.

"The variety of collections I have processed this far into the semester demonstrate the broad range of the Fulbright Program and its legacy over the last 70 years," said Owenby. 

Students in associate professor Breanne Trammell's Introduction to Printmaking class looked at different printmaking technique examples from our Rare Books collection this semester. They will curate an exhibit of prints they created, themselves, and discussing their techniques.