Anyone who grew up in church has fond memories of things like the old flannel graphs that were used to teach Bible lessons to kids. Biola University in Southern California recently opened a pop-up museum featuring nostalgic items from Christian culture.
The Museum of Precious Moments is housed at the Earl and Virginia Green Art Gallery. The museum, the first of its kind based upon Christian culture, features many interactive elements and Instagram-worthy photo opportunities. Art students at Biola collaborated to create the new pop up, which will run through March 17.
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Featuring everything from Veggie Tales, to wall art, music to the real Precious Moments and Thomas Kincaide, the museum is a quirky look into the past.
Listen to the museum’s audio guide:
“This unique pop-up experience presents a series of immersive spaces that embrace the quirky and peculiar treasures of our personal histories — drawing on this deep well of inspiration to offer striking new encounters within the familiar — evoking a sense of nostalgia and rekindling our shared memories,” curator Jeffrey Rau said. “We hope visitors will reconnect with their own memories as they journey through the exhibit.”
Pop-up museums are a recent trend in the world of art, culture and social media. Typically incorporating interactive elements, pop-up museums are a semi-formal, temporary art event that showcases a culturally relevant topic or theme. The Museum of Precious Moments takes a playful look at the wide variety of collectible, consumable, cultural mementos that often accompany the experiences of those growing up in the church. As visitors journey through these precious moments in childlike reverie, the art students hope visitors will be reconnected with their own memories and share their own story with others.
The department of art at Biola is a vibrant visual arts community that offers a professional visual arts program with a rigorous curriculum that reflects a strong liberal arts emphasis and a solid Christian worldview. The department is committed to training well-equipped students with the aesthetic, technical, conceptual skills and the Christian worldview needed for professional success and impact.
–Alan Goforth | Metro Voice
