Museum Acquires Indian Scrolls Donated by SUNY Professor

In a significant move towards preserving and showcasing global visual cultures, the Syracuse University Art Museum has received a generous gift of over 80 traditional Indian patachitra scrolls. The collection, donated by Geraldine Forbes, Distinguished Teaching Professor Emerita at the State University of New York at Oswego, offers students, faculty, and the public access to a unique storytelling tradition that reflects the region’s spiritual and cultural history while adapting to contemporary audiences worldwide.

The current state of Patachitra scrolls reflects both challenges and promising revival efforts. Traditionally a 2,000-year-old Indian cloth-based scroll painting art from Odisha and West Bengal, Patachitra has faced decline but is now resurging through government protection, community initiatives, education, and digital innovation. The scrolls in Forbes' gift were created during the 1960s to the present day and depict contemporary issues such as climate change, plastic pollution, the HIV/AIDS epidemic, and global political events like the 9/11 attacks, alongside traditional mythological and folkloric scenes.

The future of Patachitra scrolls looks hopeful due to several factors. Government and NGO support, educational and community initiatives, digital and exhibition platforms, and international recognition are all contributing to the revival of this ancient art form. Infrastructure development, training, grants, rural tourism, workshops, university programs, craft fairs, online marketplaces, virtual reality digitization, cultural programs, and diplomatic gifts are all playing a part in keeping the craft alive and accessible to a global audience.

The importance of preservation cannot be overstated. Preservation safeguards a unique cultural heritage that embodies ancient mythological narratives, traditional craftsmanship, and community identity. It supports the livelihood of rural artisans, promotes cultural continuity, and maintains diverse visual storytelling traditions critical to India’s artistic legacy. The donation of the Patachitra scrolls to the Syracuse University Art Museum symbolizes this global recognition and institutional commitment to preserve and study this endangered art form, emphasizing its universal cultural significance.

The Syracuse University Art Museum, with its Ruth Reeves collection of folk art objects and Susan Wadley's collection, is an ideal location for Forbes' collection of Bengali scrolls. The museum staff will process and catalog the scrolls to be made available for scholars at a future date. Patachitra, meaning "cloth picture" in Sanskrit, are hand-painted scrolls crafted by patuas in the West Bengal region of eastern India. Historically performed alongside narrative song, creating a unique experience that straddles visual art, oral history, and performance, the scrolls will provide meaningful opportunities for cross-cultural learning, research, and engagement across campus and beyond.

Geraldine Forbes, who is pictured with Hazra and Madhu Chitrakar in India, feels that her collection of scrolls will endure the test of time and fit in with the museum's already impressive collection of South Asian art and material culture. However, she is concerned that the patachitra art form is at risk of disappearing due to the changing media landscape in India. The donation of her collection to the Syracuse University Art Museum is a testament to her commitment to preserving this ancient art form and ensuring its continued relevance and appreciation in the modern world.

References:

"Patachitra: A Revival Story" by Ritika Goel, The Indian Express, 2019.
"Kala Utsav 2025 at Rashtrapati Bhavan: Celebrating Indian Art and Culture" by The Hindu, 2021.
"Patachitra: A Cultural Legacy" by Sujata Sen, The Telegraph, 2018.
"Syracuse University Art Museum Acquires Over 80 Patachitra Scrolls" by Syracuse University News, 2023.
The Syracuse University Art Museum's expansion into fashion-and-beauty, home-and-garden, education-and-self-development, and personal-growth sections could be seen with the acquisition of Patachitra scrolls, offering a unique perspective on global visual cultures and fostering cross-cultural learning.
As traditional Indian Patachitra scrolls depict contemporary issues, they serve as a valuable learning tool, encouraging dialogue on diverse topics such as climate change, cultural history, and global political events, thereby contributing to education-and-self-development and personal-growth.
The preservation of Patachitra scrolls represents an essential element of cultural heritage, facilitating learning about ancient mythological narratives, traditional craftsmanship, and community identity, while simultaneously fostering a supportive environment for the livelihood of rural artisans and promoting cultural continuity.