Exhibit Symposium
​November 11, 2016
NIU Art Museum, Altgeld Hall

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8:30 a.m. – 9:00 a.m.
Coffee/Tea, coffee cake
Museum Hallway

Symposium on Nats
9:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Board of Trustees room, Altgeld, Rm. 315

Welcome
Opening remarks by Kris Lehman, Professor of Anthropology, University of Illinois,
Champaign-Urbana; Trustee/Co-Founder Burma Studies Foundation

“Nats and Identity Formation in Burma:
Some Long-term Historical Considerations”
Benjamin Lemon, PhD. Candidate in History, NIU

"Devising Images for the Nats During the
Early Pagan Period 1084 - 1111AD"
Richard M. Cooler, Professor Emeritus of Southeast Asian Art History;
Founder and former Director of the Center for Burma Studies, NIU

“Contribution to Iconographic Studies of Images
Specific to the Ritual of the 37 Nats”
Catherine Raymond, Associate Professor of Asian Art History, NIU
Director of the Center for Burma Studies, NIU

“Nats in Burmese Literature: Comments from Writers”
Saw Tun, Associate Professor, Foreign Languages & Literature (Burmese), NIU

“Offering Food to Nangarine Nat within the Ritual to the 37 Nats”
Ma Sandar, Asst. Librarian, Founders Memorial Library, NIU

Conclusion
by Kris Lehman

12:30 p.m. – 1:30 p.m.
Lunch Break

2:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Light Reception in Museum Hallway

Presentation of the exhibit From Heaven to Earth:
A Ritual to the 37 Nats
NIU Art Museum
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Performance dedicated to the
37 Nats will begin at 3:00 p.m.
and three burmese spirit-mediums
will dance and communicate
with the spirits
NIU Art Museum

Art Exhibit

This exhibition reproduced a temporary altar and explored it from various angles of common Buddhist practice in Burma which is part of the living Culture. It offers another type of initiation of the complexity of Burmese Buddhism via its art still practice today.

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Sponsored in part by:
ARTH 601 Graduate Seminar, Spring 2006, NIU
Arts Fund 21
Burma Art Collection, Center for Burma Studies, NIU
Burma Interest Group, NIU
Friends of the NIU Art Museum
Graduate School, NIU
School of Art, NIU​