CeLCAR is pleased to share a unique opportunity to experience the musical traditions and craftsmanship of the historic Silk Road right here in Bloomington.
Treasures of the Silk Road: A Journey Through Sound and Craftsmanship, currently on display at McCalla School, features the Pastel–Daneshgar Instruments Collection, a remarkable collection of more than seventy traditional musical instruments from across North Africa, the Mediterranean, the Middle East, Central Asia, India, and China.
Through instruments, multimedia displays, and stories of cultural exchange, the exhibition invites visitors to explore the rich musical heritage, artistry, and cultural connections that developed along the historic Silk Road.
CeLCAR staff attended the exhibition’s opening reception on September 25 to celebrate with our colleague Shahyar Daneshgar, one of the collection’s owners and co-author of CeLCAR’s recently published Contemporary Azerbaijani: A Communicative Textbook.
The exhibition will remain on display at the McCalla School (525 E. 9th Street in Bloomington), through the end of the 2026–27 academic year. We encourage members of the IU and Bloomington communities to visit and experience this extraordinary collection for themselves!
For more information about the exhibition, contact mccalla1@iu.edu or silkroadbloom@gmail.com.