NEW HAVEN, Conn. — “Hall of the Pacific," a striking new gallery at the Yale Peabody Museum, is now open to visitors.
A release from the museum earlier this week said it is the first time that the Peabody is displaying an extensive array of artwork, contextual photographs and historical artifacts celebrating the living cultures of Pacific Islander communities.
The exhibit consists of 254 objects on display, including a carved seagoing canoe prow from Vanuatu, complex façade paintings from a ceremonial house in Papua New Guinea and decorated shields from the Solomon Islands used for defense and in ceremonies, the museum said.
The exhibit lies on the museum’s third floor and represents the vast size of the Pacific, the distances explored and navigated by Pacific Islanders and the diversity of the region’s cultures. According to the release, the Hall of the Pacific was funded by a donation from Thomas Jaffe, Yale Class of 1971.
In the release, Yale Peabody Museum Director David Skelly said that this type of exhibit is entirely new for the facility.
“We’ve never been able to show this collection of objects and works of art from across the Pacific at a scale like this,” Skelly said in the release. “The Hall of the Pacific helps visitors make a true connection with the living cultures of the region, and with AAPI communities right here in Connecticut. We are so grateful to Tom Jaffe and our partners in the community who helped bring this new exhibit to life.”
Jaffe, a philanthropist, said he’s been interested in the worlds of the Pacific since he was a kid and added in the release that he has been collecting objects from there for years.
“So, when it came time share them with the public, the Yale Peabody with Dave Skelly leading its massive revamp and expansion was a dream partner come true. My hope is that those who visit this gallery will be turned on to the Pacific’s incredible cultures for generations to come,” Jaffe said in the release.
The Hall of the Pacific covers 3,655 square feet and is the museum’s second largest space behind the Burke Hall of Dinosaurs, the release said. The new exhibit puts on display dozens of items that have been out of public view and held in private collections for decades.
RELATED: Added glimmer in New Haven | Peabody Museum officially opens 'Minerals, Earth & Space' gallery
“The Peabody has never had a permanent exhibit of cultural artifacts from the Pacific, so in addition to Jaffe’s collection, many of the museum’s objects are also on display for the first time as well,” the release said. “The Peabody’s new work and classroom spaces will enable faculty, students and researchers to have greater access to the collection for the study.”
According to the release, the hall will also host community events and discussions for the wider AAPI community in New Haven and beyond.
The release noted that other highlights featured in the Hall of the Pacific are a rare Tago mask from the Tami Islands, a pair of Eharo masks from Papua New Guinea, a 19th Century warup drum from Saibai Island, an iUla Tavatava ridged-head missile club from Fiji, a collection of stylized spirit face masks from Vanuatu and a Māori feather cloak from New Zealand.
The museum is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday. It is closed on Mondays. For more information, visit the website or call 203-432-8987.
----
Dalton Zbierski is a digital content producer and writer at FOX61 News. He can be reached at dzbierski@FOX61.com.
----
Do you have a story idea or something on your mind you want to share? We want to hear from you! Email us at newstips@fox61.com.
----
HERE ARE MORE WAYS TO GET FOX61 NEWS
Download the FOX61 News APP
iTunes: Click here to download
Google Play: Click here to download
Stream Live on ROKU: Add the channel from the ROKU store or by searching FOX61.
Steam Live on FIRE TV: Search ‘FOX61’ and click ‘Get’ to download.
