The Splendor of Silk and Beyond exhibition is on view until Dec. 11.
The Splendor of Silk and Beyond, an exhibition organized by the International Museum of the Saree, the Colin Powell School for Civic and Global Leadership, and the City College Libraries, among others, brings an intriguing illustration of garments and fashionable accessories that span decades, regions, and cultural identities to the Cohen Library Archives Gallery. The collection includes Asian, South American Caribbean and African apparel.
The opening reception and exhibition viewing occurred on Tuesday, Nov. 12 from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. The garments will remain on view until Dec. 11.
The curators: Ashvini Persaud of the International Museum of the Saree; Shama Mital of the Colin Powell School; Randy Brozen of the CCNY School of Education; and CCNY Archivist Sydney Van Nort, who heads the the City College Division of Archives and Special Collections, were available to answer questions. The attendees met musical and Bollywood legend Artiste Anjali, and Caribbean sensation Terry Gajraj, and listened to a performance of classical Indian music by Ustad Kamal Sabri.
The opening reception concluded with a presentation of selected audio archives of the legendary Ravi Shankar, who taught two courses on the history and theory of Indian classical music at CCNY in the fall 1967 semester.
From the alluring sarees of Banaras, Karnataka and South India to the intricately embroidered bridal wear found in Jackson Heights, Richmond Hill, Bellerose and Long Island shopping centers, each piece tells a unique story of heritage and craftsmanship. The display includes wedding garments, such as contemporary lehengas, sarees, sherwanis, kurtas and headpieces adorned with symbolic accessories such as safa and floral garlands.
An interesting teaser of vintage and cultural sarees from North India, South India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bangladesh, Africa, South America and the Caribbean bring attention to the legacy of traditional and evolving cultural draping styles, and historic fashion designs with contributions from immigrant and diaspora families who hold deep connections to their culture and ancestral roots. These pieces are only a small sampler of geographically sourced pieces complemented by the kimonos and Haroi from Japan.
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Since 1847, The City College of New York has provided a high-quality and affordable education to generations of New Yorkers in a wide variety of disciplines. CCNY embraces its position at the forefront of social change. It is ranked #1 by the Harvard-based Opportunity Insights out of 369 selective public colleges in the United States on the overall mobility index. This measure reflects both access and outcomes, representing the likelihood that a student at CCNY can move up two or more income quintiles. Education research organization Degree Choices ranks CCNY #1 nationally among universities for economic return on investment. In addition, the Center for World University Rankings places CCNY in the top 1.8% of universities worldwide in terms of academic excellence. Labor analytics firm Lightcast puts at $3.2 billion CCNY’s annual economic impact on the regional economy (5 boroughs and 5 adjacent counties) and quantifies the “for dollar” return on investment to students, taxpayers and society. At City College, more than 15,000 students pursue undergraduate and graduate degrees in eight schools and divisions, driven by significant funded research, creativity and scholarship. In 2023, CCNY launched its most expansive fundraising campaign, ever. The campaign, titled “Doing Remarkable Things Together” seeks to bring the College’s Foundation to more than $1 billion in total assets in support of the College mission. CCNY is as diverse, dynamic and visionary as New York City itself. View CCNY Media Kit.
Syd Steinhardt
212-650-7875
ssteinhardt1@ccny.cuny.edu