In 1991, DePauw received the Arthur E. Klauser '45 Asian and World Community Collection. The gift included Buddhist art, notably icons and mandalas, objects related to Japanese noh theater and samurai culture, painted screens, and woodblock prints from the 18th and 19th centuries. Selected objects from this collection are currently displayed in the Shidzuo Iikubo Gallery, a dedicated exhibition space for Asian art. The gallery was generously funded by Hirotsugu "Chuck" Iikubo '57 in honor of his father, Shidzuo Iikubo, a graduate of the Class of 1923.
Gifts of Tibetan art donated by Bruce Walker ’53 complement the Asian collection and include an impressive number of 18th-20th century thangka paintings, 20th century drawings, and religious and ceremonial objects. Highlights from this collection are also on display in the Shidzuo Iikubo Gallery.
Students enrolled in the winter term course, Introduction to Museum Studies, wrote new interpretive labels and created this website content in 2013. Prior to their work, the exhibition lacked interpretive texts and contextual information. This virtual website is an extension of their gallery work. Site content created by: Caitlin Qua '16, Jamie Oriez '16, Leigh Plummer '16, and Michael Paniccia '14.
