In May 2015, Sally Bjork, photographer at the U-M Department of the History of Art’s Visual Resources Collections, took part in a 16-day tour through major cities and regions of Iran led by U-M Professor of Near Eastern and Classical Art and Archaeology, Margaret Cool Root, for the Archaeological Institute of America. Bjork’s participation was made possible by monies from the Freer Fund of the Department of the History of Art. Her charge was to photograph sites, monuments, and artworks as well as urban and rural scenes, landscapes, people, and life textures that can be used for research and teaching amongst numerous disciplines. The result is some 8,000 images that celebrate life, vibrancy, and color, as well as Iranian traditions of art and design stretching back through the centuries. The collection will ultimately be available to the University and beyond via the U-M Digital Library.

Bjork has selected various images from this extensive collection to create an exhibit that offers a broadened perspective on Iran for an American audience. These photographs speak not of governments, but of the culture, heritage, and humanity of a country and its diverse peoples.

Organized by the Center for Middle Eastern and North African Studies, this exhibition is made possible by the Department of Anthropology, the Department of Comparative Literature, the Department of the History of Art (Freer Fund), the Department of Near Eastern Studies, and the University of Michigan Detroit Center. Additional support has been provided by an anonymous donor’s fund for the study of Iranian art.

Photo Exhibit
October 27-November 13, 2015 • 8:00 am - 6:00 pm
International Institute Gallery (1st Floor), 1080 S. University Ave.

CMENAS Forum: an informal discussion with Sally Bjork
November 2, 1:00 pm
International Institute (1636 SSWB)

This event is free and open to the public.