UA union gallery, humanities host documentary on César E. Chávez
The College of Humanities Media, Democracy and Policy Initiative, and the Union Gallery invite the UA and Tucson communities to the opening reception of a photo documentary on the work of one of the nation's most notable civil rights, farm worker, labor and Latino leaders.
The opening of "Witness: César E. Chávez & the United Farm Workers Movement: 1975-1979," a photo documentary by Cathy Murphy, will be held at the Union Gallery tomorrow from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Murphy will speak at the event.
This reception and exhibit are free and open to the public.
The United Farm Workers, led by César E. Chávez, was at its height in terms of its membership numbers and its effectiveness in the 1970s. It broadened the Civil Rights Movement and inspired generations of Americans to become more politically involved and environmentally aware. Cathy Murphy was there to witness the events unfold.
The College of Humanities Media, Democracy and Policy Initiative, and the Union Gallery wish to honor the efforts that developed one of nation's most vibrant unions. The exhibit is presented by the Union Gallery, Alltel Fund for the Arts, Media, Democracy and Policy Initiative, and Univision Television.
Union Gallery hours are Monday through Thursday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. "Witness" will be on exhibit through Oct. 8. Parking is available in the Second Street Parking Garage, at the southeast corner of East Second Street and North Mountain Avenue.
Tibetan artifact displayed in honor of the Dalai Lama's Tucson visit
In honor of the Dalai Lama's upcoming visit to Tucson, the Arizona State Museum will temporarily display a rare Tibetan artifact from its collection - a section of a sacred fur robe that belonged to the Ninth Panchen Lama, Qujie Nima (1883-1937).
The object will be on display in the museum's lobby Monday through Sept. 24. His Holiness Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th Dalai Lama of Tibet, will be in Tucson Sept. 16 through Sept. 19 for a series of workshops and public events.
The unique fur robe was in the possession of the Panchen Lama, the abbot and second-highest religious leader of Tibet, when he fled his country in 1933 because he believed the 13th Dalai Lama was attempting to poison him. For protection, the Panchen Lama joined a Yale-sponsored expedition traveling in Tibet that was led by scholar Eugene Lamb and accompanied by adventurer John Logan III.
The team had been in Tibet for about a year by the time it encountered the Panchen Lama. In gratitude for the group's help, the Panchen Lama gave a portion of his fur robe to Logan. Other fragments were given to fellow Tibetans in the party. The entire robe was made up of approximately 20,000 tiny fur fragments collected from an estimated 5,000 foxes and sewn together by young girls. The museum portion is approximately 24-by-28 inches in size.
The Ninth Panchen Lama died in exile in China in 1937. The museum received the robe section in 1965 from John A. Logan III, who was living in Tucson at the time.
"There is a Tibetan tradition of lamas giving away things they've worn," says Ken Bacher, a Buddhist and vice president of Arizona Teachings, a non-profit, religious and educational institution that was formed in 1992 for the purpose of bringing the Dalai Lama to Tucson for the fist time in 1993. Bacher says that lamas have three robes at any given time.
"Because the current Panchen Lama is not able to give teachings or even to walk outside his house, seeing this piece of robe gives one a feeling of darshan - the blessing of being near, hearing or seeing the Lama, and as a result, being connected to him forever."
With information provided by Logan's son, John A. Logan IV, museum curator Diane Dittemore has learned that the Yale-sponsored expedition left the United States in the winter of 1931-1932 and returned the summer of 1934 "after extricating themselves from a friendly captivity that extended their stay beyond their plan." Efforts are under way to further document this trip through contacts at the Yale Library and the Peabody Museum at Yale.
Arizona State Museum is located on campus just inside the Main Gate at North Park Avenue and East University Boulevard. It is open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 5 p.m. Admission is a requested donation of $3 per person.
For more information call 520-621-6302, or go online at http://www.statemuseum.arizona.edu.