“The Night Before [Insert Holliday]” is an exhibition of books and objects globally contextualizing Clement C. Moore’s 1823 poem “A Visit From St. Nicholas,” more popularly known as “Twas the Night Before Christmas.”

A patron lent the Department of Art more than 200 distinct copies of the poem, all illustrated by different artists. Lenore Metrick-Chen’s class, Art and Public Interfaces, rose to the challenge to find a way to deconstruct and re- contextualize this collection—turning a predominantly white heteronormative col, including Santa Claus himself, into an inclusive, diverse exhibition. Students reached out to Drake’s multicultural student organizations, and with their assistance, this exhibition attempts to interpret the celebration of Christmas in the context of people of different backgrounds.

The exhibit extends beyond the glass display cases, using the walls of this area to contextualize the Christmas book within the religions and holidays of the world. The exhibit will run through mid-February.

—Lenore Metrick-Chen, Department of Art