Stepping inside the Spori Art Gallery is like taking a trip back in time to China’s Cultural Revolution.

The different art media communicate messages of the political and social instability of China’s communist era and the emotions of the Chinese people who lived through it.

The exhibit “Art from Mao’s China” allows viewers to catch a glimpse of the unique history and culture of China from 1955 to 1983. The exhibit opened Feb. 3 and will run through Feb. 28.

The exhibit includes 55 pieces of original art, said Scott Galer, professor of Chinese language and literature at BYU-Idaho and guest curator for the exhibit. The art pieces include oil on canvas and paper, woodblocks and watercolors.

“Students interested in art, political science, international relations or the Chinese language will be particularly drawn to this exhibit, but it appeals to everyone,” Galer said.

Dodge Billingsley, foun-der of Combat Films and Research, and Eric Hyer, associate professor in the Department of Political Science at BYU, offered a symposium with a screening of the film “From the Masses to the Masses: Art from Mao’s China” on Feb. 3.

The 60-minute film detailed the history of the Cultural Revolution of China through the experiences of artist Jin Zhilin.

The artwork was collected over a five-year period from China, said Billingsley. The entire process of collecting, restoring and displaying the art pieces was rewarding. “It’s fantastic to find [these art pieces]. It’s like finding gold — a real prize,” Billingsley said.

Because the art was neglected for decades, many of the pieces were in poor condition when collected from the original artists. Experts were hired to restore, preserve and frame the art to its present beauty, Billingsley said.

For Hyer, the most rewarding part of the exhibit is watching the positive reactions of spectators to the different art pieces and the film. “It’s wonderful to see that people really appreciate China’s art and culture,” Hyer said.

“This is one of the most intellectually stimulating evenings I’ve had in a long time,” said John Ivers, department chairman of foreign language at BYU-I.

Overhearing Ivers, Hyer said, “It’s successful when it sparks conversation like this. That’s what really matters.”

The exhibit is supported in part by a grant from the Idaho Humanities Council, a State-based Program of the National Endowment for the Humanities, and the Utah Humanities Council.