Crowds marveled at Bonsai trees, Buddha statues and wooden sculptures at the grand opening of the David A. Cofrin Asian Art Wing at the Samuel P. Harn Museum of Art on Saturday.
After three years and $20 million in construction, the 26,000-square-foot Asian art wing was opened to the public. About 1,200 people attended.
The late Cofrin was a Gainesville philanthropist, physician and collector of Asian art. He gave more than $30 million to the Harn Museum of Art, including $10 million toward the Asian Art Wing in 2008, and made the expansion possible, Harn’s director of Marketing and Public Relations Tami Wroath said.
The opening featured Asian-inspired activities such as Chinese calligraphy booths, origami and paper kimono stations, as well as a bonsai display hosted by the Gainesville Bonsai Society.
Clothed in a pink-and-baby blue traditional Japanese kimono and sandals, law student Ashely Armstrong, 23, was dressed for the occasion. Armstrong said she has been a big fan of Asian art, specifically Asian armor, since she was in middle school.
“The variety here is amazing,” she said.
Curatorial Associate of Asian Art Alyssa Brown Peyton said there’s a lot of interaction between Asian art and nature. Asian artists give great attention to the smallest details, even down to the texture material they use.
Peyton said many of the sculptures found in the new wing would normally be found at Buddhist temples. The new exhibit gives viewers the chance to take a closer, more personal look at them, she said.
Crowds of people flocked to the Korean Gallery section of the wing to hear about the treasured art it held. Sitting in the center of the gallery is a gilt wood Bodhisattva, a Buddhist term for an enlightened being who has returned to Earth to help others, Peyton said.
The statue dates back to the 17th century and is also a container for relics. It once housed sacred Buddhist texts, which are now lying at the base of the statue inside of a large vertical display case.
On a nearby wall are x-rays and CT scans of the statue, where visitors can see a sacred text still sealed inside the head of the Bodhisattva.
Zulay Perez, a 19-year-old political science sophomore, said she enjoyed the wide array of Asian art the exhibit provided. She liked that it focused on the connection between religion and art.
“My favorite piece is the Bodhisattva,” she said. “Bodhisattva is absolutely gorgeous. He kind of draws you into the room and makes it very peaceful.”
Ed. note: the headline was changed to fix a misspelling of "calligraphy" 6/7/13
Sangmi Kang plays the Gayageum at the grand opening of the David A. Cofrin Asian Art Wing held at the Samuel P. Harn Museum of Art on Saturday.
