Exchange: Chinese Gallery

Chinese Gallery

May 2019

In the Spring 2019 touring season UMMA Docents and Volunteers were trained in the TimeSlips Creative Storytelling method, where facilitators utilize prompts that allow guests to collaboratively create their own stories. One of those completed stories can be found below.

Stop 1-Ancestral Portraits

Opening with singing “My Girl” by the Temptations.

Details of female portrait described through a “letter” which supposedly written by the sitter – which also explains why the male sitter isn’t her husband.

Guests passed around sample of embroidered silk, encouraged to examine and feel the piece.

Conclusion singing “My Guy” by Mary Wells.

Stop 2-TimeSlips story composed by residents as they looked at the funerary piece Watchtower using a close-up aid.

Someone lives in the penthouse. It is a community and they are all family. Laura says it is a

lookout point. Everyone is at a door or window and they all know each other. Joy says it looks

Oriental.”

They are by the water and the tower looks like it is religious. Maybe it’s an ancestral temple? Is

it at night, morning or sunrise? We all can’t agree. The weather is warm. Standing by the

window we hear chimes or maybe gongs? The sound of “ohm mm” and water crashing.

It’s a religious community. Maybe Buddhist? Maybe different levels of Buddha? The people get

older as you go up the tower. At the bottom they are younger standing up. People are

watching and meditating. Inside there is more meditation. There are bamboo floors and

candles. Someone is cooking. There are smells of oils, incense burning and definitely tea.

At the bottom of the tower women are looking out through a keyhole. It could be a jail?

Women may be there to be punished for showing their feet? Their hands and feet are bound.

Stop 3-Journey of the Soul to Queen Mother of the West (and rubbing)

Explanation of what it is, a tomb object, second century limestone slab, and the role of the Queen Mother of the West in Chinese life, prior to the Communist era.

Reading of story composed about the image of the dragon on it.

Guests passed around and felt a smooth stone, representing the dragon’s “flaming pearl”.

Residents made rubbings, with the assistance of helpers, from prepared carved blocks with images from the stone - these became take-home items.

Outcome of tour: successful in that all participated in all parts of the tour.

Challenges: accommodating everyone in a relatively small space.

Changes: can easily move shift to accommodate early stage residents by small changes in pace and style.