MGCCC Jackson County Campus to host National Library of Medicine exhibit

The Learning Resources Center at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College’s Jackson County Campus will host the traveling exhibit “Frankenstein: Penetrating the Secrets of Nature” from January 21-February 28, 2020. The six-banner traveling exhibition explores the Birth of Frankenstein, the life of author Mary Shelley, the scientific search for the principle of life, and the transformation of the “monster” in popular culture. The exhibit was developed and produced by the National Library of Medicine and National Institutes of Health and was curated by Dr. Susan Lederer, PhD.

A campus exhibit of student work that incorporates the Frankenstein theme will be included. Winners of an interdisciplinary project contest will be announced at the culmination of the exhibit, and winners will have the opportunity to present their projects.

While a teenager, Mary Shelley conceived of the tragic tale of an ambitious scientist, Victor Frankenstein, and the monstrous creature of his making. Since the novel’s first publication in 1818, the story has gripped imaginations for generations, both in the original novel and shaped into new forms, such as plays, films and comics.

For two centuries, playwrights’ and filmmakers’ adaptations have transformed Frankenstein into one of the Western world’s most enduring tales. “Frankenstein: Penetrating the Secrets of Nature” presents the young Shelley’s life and explores the power of her Frankenstein story on popular culture and as a framework for discussions of medical advances that challenge our traditional understanding of what it means to be human.

There is no charge for the exhibit, and it is open to the public. The LRC is open Monday-Thursday, 7:30 a.m. – 8 p.m. and Friday, 7:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. For more information on the traveling exhibit, visit at: www.nlm.nih.gov/frankenstein or contact Gwendolyn Carter at the Jackson County Campus Learning Resources Center at gwendolyn.carter@mgccc.edu or (228) 497-7715.