Installation view of Illuminating Minds, Old Quad, the University of Melbourne. Image by Christian Capurro.
The University of Melbourne’s Old Quad reopened this week with Illuminating Minds, a new exhibition honouring one of Australia’s most pioneering art historians, Professor Emerita Margaret Manion.
Illuminating Minds celebrates the life and work of Margaret Manion, a trailblazing scholar and member of the Sisters of Loreto, who dedicated her career to uncovering the extraordinary worlds hidden within illuminated manuscripts.
Curated by University of Melbourne Faculty of Arts researchers Associate Professor Christopher Marshall, Dr Callum Reid, Dr Alice Helme and Dr Alison Inglis AM, in collaboration with the University’s Potter Museum of Art, the exhibition highlights Manion’s influence on the study of art history and manuscript traditions.
The exhibition showcases a selection of rare and exquisitely crafted original and facsimile manuscripts from the University’s collections, which Margaret Manion helped assemble through her research over many years. Together, they give insight into the illuminated book from the fourth to the sixteenth centuries.
Also on display are artworks and archival materials tracing Manion’s remarkable career from her early life as a Loreto Sister to her decades as a teacher, internationally recognised scholar and leader in Australia’s cultural sector.
Through the display of these important works, the exhibition brings the University’s collections into closer connection with students and the wider community, supporting teaching, research and public engagement.
“Illuminating Minds transports the viewer into the illuminated pages of Renaissance and medieval manuscripts,” said co-curator Dr Alice Helme.
“Inspired by the colours, gilding and cursive script of the University’s collection of manuscripts and facsimiles, this exhibition celebrates Professor Margaret Manion’s legacy on the study of art history at the University of Melbourne. Professor Manion’s presence is also felt through the exhibition with the inclusion of quotes from her speeches and notes, bringing to life the words and ideas of this inspiring teacher and scholar.”
The Director of Art Museums at the University of Melbourne, Charlotte Day, said the exhibition reflects the strength of the University’s collections and scholarship.
“We are delighted to have collaborated on the presentation of Illuminating Minds and to work with the Faculty of Arts to bring a key story in its teaching and research history to life,” she said. “The exhibition draws on world-class scholarship by University academics and the strength of our collections. Most importantly, it invites audiences both at the University but also more widely, to engage with the research and artworks firsthand at Old Quad.”
The Dean of the Faculty of Arts, Professor Jennifer Balint, said: “Margaret Manion’s influence on the Faculty of Arts has been far-reaching. The Art History program she established has been instrumental in shaping the academic journeys of countless students over the years, and I’m thrilled that current students will have the opportunity to learn more about Manion’s profound impact through this exhibition, highlighting her lifelong dedication to advancing the humanities.”
Illuminating Minds is generously supported by The Nossal Family and Dr Alison Inglis AM.
Learn more about Illuminating Minds here.
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