The Art Museum of the University of Memphis is preparing to host an exhibition from UofM students studying art history and anthropology that focuses on museum artifacts from diverse cultures and places.

“Divine Diversities” will be on display beginning Saturday, April 20, through June 1.

“From Ancient Egypt’s polytheistic beliefs to modern global monotheistic religions, the exhibit will highlight examples of ritual, communication, veneration, and representation of the divine drawn from Africa, Asia, Europe, and North and South America,” Dr. Pat Podzorski, curator of Egyptian Art at the UofM’s Institute of Egyptian Art and Archeology, wrote in announcing the exhibition. “Interpretive texts, images, and video will enhance the visitor experience.

“This exhibition will demonstrate that despite differences in time and the cultural diversity of the artifacts on display, there are still many connections to be made between modern society, religious practice, the objects, and the people that used them.”

The UofM students who developed “Divine Diversities” are enrolled in Museum Exhibitions, a Podzorski-taught class for undergraduate and graduate students.

An opening reception will be held in the lobby of the Communication and Fine Arts building Saturday from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. The reception is free and open to the public.

— Phillip Tutor, CCFA media coordinator, potutor@memphis.edu