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Itineraries of Exchange: Cultural Contact in a Global Frame

How do societies change in response to contact with other cultures? And what roles do objects play in mediating these connections over time and place? This two-and-a-half-day symposium – held March 4 through March 6 at the UBC Vancouver campus – brings together anthropologists, geographers, historians, Indigenous artists and activists, and literary scholars whose research focuses on cross-cultural encounters and material exchange in a global context. Invited speakers will share works-in-progress and critically assess their own approaches toward the study of cultural exchange between peoples, places and things.

UBC Library is proud to support this event. Rare Books and Special Collections has worked with organizer Neil Safier of UBC’s Department of History on an accompanying digital collection, and the Irving K. Barber Learning Centre is an event sponsor.

For more information, please visit http://globalencounters.ubc.ca/symposium.

Patricia Richardson Logie-Chronicles of Pride

Patricia Richardson Logie – Chronicles of Pride

Patricia Richardson Logie – Chronicles of Pride

Patricia Richardson Logie has been doing commission work in Vancouver – mostly in the area of portraiture – for the last forty years. Her work is representational, her technique is strong, vibrant, and with a great sense of life force, her brushwork is of the bravura school of painting. Between 1970 and 1983, Logie painted in London, England, where she attended Sir John Cass College and exhibited extensively during that time with The Cass Group, The Royal Society of Portrait Painters, The Society of Women Artists and The Pastel Society. During that time she also exhibited in Canada with the Federation of Canadian Artists and The Society of Women Artists in 1979. She also taught portraiture at the Federation and the University of British Columbia.

In 1983 Patricia turned her energies to Canada and started the series ‘Chronicles of Pride‘, consisting of thirty-one paintings, a truly Canadian project concerning the contributions being made to society by contemporary Indigenous peoples. Through various circumstances, she came to the belief that it was her responsibility as an artist to show Indigenous people in their true light. In 1990, a book was published, called Chronicles of Pride: A Journey of Discovery by Detselig Enterprises Ltd., and a teacher resource guide and a video that contains profiles of the portrait subjects accompanied the book. These resources are available at various UBC Library branches, including Xwi7xwa Library, the only Indigenous branch of a university library in Canada.

Chronicles of Pride is an awareness study dealing with the contributions to society by First Nations people. Portraits in this collection of 31 paintings has now been purchased by the National Portrait Gallery in Ottawa; the Squamish Nation and the Royal British Columbia Museum in Victoria, BC.

To see more photos of this exhibition, please find here.

Pang Jingtang

Pang Jingtang

Image Credit: UBC Library, Pang Jingtang

Pang Jingtang, born in He-ze County, Shan-dong Province, China 1900, died 1977, former name Pang Xiaoqin, pen name Hei-yuan, grandson of Pang Yupu, naval commander in chief in Guangdong-Guangxi jurisdiction, Qing Dynasty.  His career began in 1927 as an instructor of political science in Huangpu Military Academy, Guangzhou.  During the regime of Chiang Kai-shek in mainland China, he had held several positions of high profile in government as well as the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT).  His titles included KMT Central Control Committee member, director of KMT in Shandong Province and member of National Assembly.  In 1948, he was captured by People’s Liberation Army when the Chinese Communist party was taking over power and had since then been held in prison for 12 years.

Due to his well recognized reputation as an erudite scholar, Pang was recommended to take in charge of the establishment and management of a prison library while serving his term in Gongdelin Prison, Beijing.  He was released in November 1960 after being granted a special amnesty.  His book, The Jiangs’ Regime vs the Chens’ Party, provides important reference resources for the research and study of contemporary Chinese history.  In collaboration with the Asian Library, the Irving K. Barber Learning Centre hosted this exhibition from March 2 to March 30, 2010.

To see more photos of this exhibit, please find here.

Display on Pang Jingtang Collection at IKBLC Gallery, March 2-30, 2010

Display on Pang Jingtang Collection

Pang Jingtang, born in He-ze County, Shan-dong Province, China 1900, died 1977, former name Pang Xiaoqin, pen name Hei-yuan, grandson of Pang Yupu, naval commander in chief in Guangdong-Guangxi jurisdiction, Qing Dynasty.  His career began in 1927 as an instructor of political science in Huangpu Military Academy, Guangzhou.  During the regime of Chiang Kai-shek in mainland China, he had held several positions of high profile in government as well as the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT).  His titles included KMT Central Control Committee member, director of KMT in Shandong Province and member of National Assembly.  In 1948, he was captured by People’s Liberation Army when the Chinese Communist party was taking over power and had since then been held in prison for 12 years.

Due to his well recognized reputation as an erudite scholar, Pang was recommended to take in charge of the establishment and management of a prison library while serving his term in Gongdelin Prison, Beijing.  He was released in November 1960 after being granted a special amnesty.  His book, The Jiangs’ Regime vs the Chens’ Party, provides important reference resources for the research and study of contemporary Chinese history.

March 2 – March 30
The Gallery @ the Irving K. Barber Learning Centre

(1961 East Mall, Vancouver)

Essentials of Tibetan Medical System and its role in Community Health Services (IKBLC Webcast)

Presented by the Contemporary Tibetan Studies Program at the Institute for Asian Research, Essentials of Tibetan Medical System and its role in Community Health Services focuses on the role of traditional Tibetan medicine in providing primary health care in Tibetan refugee settlements in India.  On January 22, 2010, Dr. Dorjee Rapten Neshar  discussed the essential elements and concepts of health care in traditional Tibetan medicine and its practical application in contemporary society.  Webcast sponsored by Irving K. Barber Learning Centre

Computer (and Human) Perfection at Checkers (IKBLC Webcast)

In 1989, the Chinook project began with the goal of building a computer program capable of winning the human World Checkers Championship. The reigning human champion was almost perfect, having rarely lost a game in over forty years. To do better required the computer to be perfect. In effect, one had to solve checkers. Little did we know that our quest would take 18 years to complete. What started out as a research project quickly became a personal quest and an emotional roller coaster. This talk, by the creator of Chinook, Dr. Jonathan Schaeffer from the University of Alberta, is about the interplay between people and technology, the story of man versus machine for supremacy at checkers. To appreciate this story, no detailed knowledge of computer science or checkers is needed.  Webcast sponsored by the Irving K. Barber Learning Centre.

Ian Wilson Keynote Speech From the BC Digitization Symposium 2009 (IKBLC Webcast)

Former Librarian and Archivist of Canada, Ian Wilson describes the new information landscape and its impact on libraries and archives. In discussing the Canadian approach to history in the age of Wikipedia and Facebook, as well as the participatory nature of knowledge in the 21st century, Wilson moves into the role of knowledge organizations, and outline his vision for Canada’s digital strategy and the Canada Project. Finally, he discusses how digitization can help Canada succeed in the knowledge economy.   Sponsored by the Irving K. Barber Learning Centre, this webcast took place on December 1, 2008 at the Victoria Learning Theatre.