{"id":13495,"date":"2026-03-02T08:18:17","date_gmt":"2026-03-02T12:18:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.lib.purdue.edu\/news\/?p=13495"},"modified":"2026-03-11T16:50:41","modified_gmt":"2026-03-11T20:50:41","slug":"highlights-from-the-forms-and-functions-exhibition-reception","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.lib.purdue.edu\/news\/2026\/03\/02\/highlights-from-the-forms-and-functions-exhibition-reception\/","title":{"rendered":"Recap: \u201cForms and Functions\u201d exhibition reception showcases Purdue history through archives"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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\"Neal<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Attendees<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Four<\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

On March 5, faculty, students, and community members gathered on the third and fourth floors of the HSSE Library in Stewart Center to celebrate the opening reception for \u201cForms and Functions: A Selection of Materials within Purdue University Archives and Special Collections.\u201d The event highlighted the rich variety of materials preserved in Purdue University Archives and Special Collections (ASC) and the collaborative work that brings these collections to life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The evening began with remarks from Assistant Dean and Head of ASC, Neal Harmeyer, and lead curator Jo Otremba, who introduced the goals of the exhibition and reflected on the collaborative effort behind it. Co-curated by Otremba, seven Purdue archivists, and 11 student employees, the exhibition was designed not only to showcase remarkable items from Purdue\u2019s past but also to give visitors insight into how archivists organize, preserve, and interpret primary source materials.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe wanted this exhibit to celebrate the students\u2019 accomplishments and provide the opportunity for them to get the hands-on learning experiences about what it takes to put together an exhibit,\u201d said Otremba.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Following Otremba\u2019s remarks, a student panel featuring Scarlett Strong, Hannah Cano, Roma Koroneos, and Maxwell Splaine offered attendees a behind-the-scenes look at the exhibition process. The students shared their experiences researching materials, assisting with curation, and helping shape the final display. Their reflections highlighted the hands-on learning opportunities that working with archival collections provides and underscored the important role students played in bringing the exhibition together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The reception also provided guests the opportunity to explore the exhibition firsthand, view the original materials on display, and speak with archivists and student contributors about the stories behind the items. Through its thoughtful selection of materials and collaborative approach, the exhibition offers a unique window into the work of archives and the many ways primary sources help illuminate Purdue\u2019s history.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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View photos from the reception.<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

About the exhibition<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

\u201cForms and Functions\u201d highlights the wide range of materials found in an archive\u2014from manuscripts and photographs to illustrations and personal papers\u2014while inviting visitors to consider the stories and questions that these materials reveal. Throughout the gallery, visitors encountered original items connected to notable figures in Purdue\u2019s history and beyond.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Among the featured individuals are John Purdue, founder and benefactor of the university; aviation pioneer and former Purdue faculty member Amelia Earhart; astronaut Neil Armstrong, the first person to walk on the Moon; Nobel Prize\u2013winning chemist Herbert Brown; popcorn entrepreneur Orville Redenbacher; cartoonist Harold Gray, creator of \u201cLittle Orphan Annie\u201d; and illustrator George Wildman, known for his work on \u201cPopeye\u201d comics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cForms and Functions\u201d will remain on view and is free and open to the public during ASC\u2019s regular hours, Monday through Friday from 10:00 AM to 4:30 PM throughout the spring 2026 semester, with modified hours during the summer. The exhibition is located at the Virginia Kelly Karnes Archives and Special Collections Research Center on the fourth floor of the Humanities, Social Sciences, and Education (HSSE) Library in Stewart Center and runs until June 26.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Learn more about the exhibition.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Acknowledgement<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

ASC thanks the student employees and archivists whose time, creativity, and expertise made \u201cForms and Functions\u201d possible. Their collaborative work\u2014from selecting materials to installing the exhibition\u2014was essential to bringing it to life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The exhibition team includes the following contributors:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n
  • Lead curator:<\/strong> Jo Otremba<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Archivist co-curators:<\/strong> Rich Bernier, Adriana Harmeyer, Wayne Hastings, Ben Parnin, Sara Pettinger, Stephanie Schmitz, and Katey Watson<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Student co-curators:<\/strong> Camryn Beeman, Hannah Cano, Vineeta Chen, Roma Koroneos, Rafah Mir, Eli Patton, Lily Sharp, Max Splaine, Scarlett Strong, Poseidon Thompson, and Mallory Wells<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    On March 5, faculty, students, and community members gathered on the third and fourth floors of the HSSE Library in Stewart Center to celebrate the opening reception for \u201cForms and Functions: A Selection of Materials within Purdue University Archives and Special Collections.\u201d The event highlighted the rich variety of materials preserved in Purdue University Archives […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":166,"featured_media":13521,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[13,13101],"tags":[3863,13102,3],"class_list":["post-13495","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-general","category-news-and-announcements","tag-archives-and-special-collections","tag-general","tag-news"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.lib.purdue.edu\/news\/files\/2026\/03\/IMG_7367-scaled.jpg?fit=2560%2C1707&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pT6ms-3vF","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.lib.purdue.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13495","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.lib.purdue.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.lib.purdue.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.lib.purdue.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/166"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.lib.purdue.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=13495"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.lib.purdue.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13495\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":13523,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.lib.purdue.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13495\/revisions\/13523"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.lib.purdue.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/13521"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.lib.purdue.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=13495"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.lib.purdue.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=13495"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.lib.purdue.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=13495"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}