June 27–September 7, 2014

Curator: Sebastián Encina

Not all of the items we use in our daily life were invented in our lifetime. Many have long and rich histories. Some have remained unchanged over thousands of years. The exhibition "Ancient/Modern: The Design of Everyday Things" introduced visitors to the concept that artifacts have existed for longer than they imagine, serving the needs of humanity for millennia. In some cases, the concept from long ago proved so useful there was little need to improve its design. In others, the need remained, but the form was altered extensively. A selection from the Kelsey Museum collections demonstrated these notions of change and tradition, comparing and contrasting them with their modern counterparts.