The exhibit features an illuminated double-page opening of the Layla and Majnun story as written by Nizami. Photo courtesy of the Michigan Library
The Of Love and Madness: Layla and Majnun exhibit at the Hatcher Graduate library gives visitors a glance into the literary history of a romantic tale. With Arabian origins and a variety of versions to the story, some of these many versions are scripts from the library’s Islamic Manuscripts Collection. Aside from being a collection with scripts that date as far back as the 16th century, all of the manuscripts on display happen to be illuminated manuscripts — documents with text that are decorated with initials, borders, and/or illustrations.
The first illuminated manuscript I looked at was a copy of Nizami’s Persian version of the tale, pictured above. The beauty of a story about powerful love was reflected in the vibrant details of the pages: Persian words were cushioned in gold detailing, royal blue & crimson red contrasted wonderfully with the pages, and intricate floral designs tied the colors of the page together. The next manuscript I saw was a copy of Jami’s Persian version within his Haft Awrang, a collection of seven different tales with one of them pertaining to Layla and Majnun. This copy, pictured below, features a headpiece with title marks.
Jami’s Persian version of the Layla and Majnun tale within his Haft Awrang. Photo courtesy of Komel KFuzuli’s Turkish version of the tale, completed in 1536. Photo courtesy of Komel KAlong with these illuminated manuscripts of Layla and Majnun, the exhibit also features another famous couple in Islamic literature, Vamiq and Azra, through a papyrus fragment. I found all of these pieces to be wonderful, and would definitely recommend others to visit this exhibit. Stop by the 7th floor of the Hatcher Graduate Library anytime until the 22nd of February in order to view the physical variants of such an adorned tale!
Have you been honing those keytar skills throughout winter break and want to show off? Want to show off the results of all that practice singing to yourself in the car on your morning commute?
This is your chance!
On Wednesday, January 11th at 8 PM, 15 performers will be invited to the stage at the Ark for 8 minute performances each.
On Saturday, January 14, 2017, students of U of M’s School of Music, Theatre, and Dance will come together for a showcase of some of their best pieces. The traditional Collage Concert will feature back-to-back performances of musical pieces, dance, theatre, and more! I was told that this is not a performance to miss!
The Collage Concert will take place in Hill Auditorium at 8pm. Tickets are $26/$32 for reserved seating and $12 for students with an ID.
Azerbaijani folk art based on Nizami’s novel. Photo courtesy of Wikipedia
The Hatcher Graduate library is currently featuring manuscripts from their Islamic Manuscripts collection, which pertains to a Persian love story written by Nizami Ganjavi. These manuscripts, written in the 9th century, focus on a woman named Layla and a man named Qays Ibn al-Mulawwah (who later was nicknamed Majnun) and their virgin love. This ancient tale has been adopted, rewritten, and altered many times, from Sufi writers to Indians to European writers. Visit this exhibit before it ends, in order to view original manuscripts of a beloved story in the world of literature.
Details
When: Now until February 22nd
Time: 10:00AM – 6:00PM
Location: Hatcher Graduate Library, 7th Floor Exhibit Space
The Ann Arbor District Library hosted local artist and University of Michigan alum David Zinn for his workshop—Drawing from Your Imagination with David Zinn—on January 5th in order to share his artistic techniques with those who attended. Although Zinn is well-known for his chalk and charcoal works on city streets and buildings, this artist used the Thursday afternoon to delve into the creative thought process of his artwork.
The workshop took place in the library’s multi-purpose room, located in the basement. I arrived five minutes past one and found myself in a room bustling with locals both young and old, all enthusiastic to hear from the artist. After they found their seats and chatter hummed down to faint whispers, Zinn introduced himself to us through light jokes and references. His words were accompanied by a slideshow of his latest street art pieces, which were certainly entertaining to look at.
One of the works that Zinn featured in his slideshow. Photo courtesy of Demilked
Zinn’s introduction eventually transitioned to demonstrations of his creative thought process. The artist first explained to his audience how blank canvases were intimidating to him, as ideas for art were limitless and therefore overwhelming. Having a canvas with a mark, however, gave Zinn a starting point for his ideas, even if that canvas happened to be a sidewalk with a line of grass. Zinn then elaborated this point by having attendees engage in drawing exercises where everyone would make a scribble, swap papers with someone else, and see what they could draw from that scribble. After everyone saw the products of this exercise, Zinn facilitated another drawing exercise where one person would draw on a folded sheet of paper and another person would complete the drawing on the other side. By viewing art that was created from canvases with a mark, everyone, including me, had a better understanding of where Zinn was coming from.
One of the drawings made from the second exercise of the workshop. The top half was drawn by me, while the bottom half was drawn by another attendee
The workshop ended ten minutes after two, with applause from attendees. I was content with what I learned from the workshop, and am considering on attending future workshops by Zinn in the Ann Arbor District Library.
If you happened to miss out on this opportunity with a local artist, be sure to check the AADL website to see when the next David Zinn workshop will be!
A local to Ann Arbor and University of Michigan alum, David Zinn will be holding a workshop at the Ann Arbor District Library this Thursday, the 5th of January. Zinn has been making his mark on the city with artwork through murals, business logos, posters, and cartoons, but he is well known for the chalk art he makes on the streets and sidewalks of Ann Arbor, Manhattan, and other locations. In recent years, Zinn has recieved global attention from outlets such as Facebook and the Huffington Post. This local artist is now sharing some of his artistic experience through the workshop, Drawing from Your Imagination with David Zinn, where he will be demonstrating illustration techniques with color pencils. Take the opportunity to meet and learn from David Zinn this week, one of Ann Arbor’s local artists!
Details
When: Thursday, January 5th
Time: 1:00 -2:00PM
Location: Ann Arbor District Library, Multi-Purpose Room
Workshop is intended for kids grade six to adults, free admission.
