Students were immersed in the culture of India Friday night after walking through the Ulrich Museum of Art’s newest exhibit.

From the clothes and fabrics hanging in the windows to the photographs and videos of the country, patrons were transported from Wichita to a far away culture.

A reception for the new exhibit, “POSTDATE: Photography and Inherited History in India,” was held Friday. It will remain on display until Dec. 13. The reception included food, drinks, music, dancing and several works of art.

“I’ve never attended an event here before, but I really appreciate art so that is why I decided to come tonight,” senior Maha Madi said. “I think it’s cool to see a different perspective and it’s a good way to broaden your horizons.”

POSTDATE is about the history of India and how artists mark the past with ideas from the present. All the works are by artists from India, including Annu Palakunnathu Matthew, who will give the art talk “Living Between Cultures” at 6:30 p.m. Sept. 25 at the Campus Activity Center Theater following a 5:30 p.m. reception at the museum.

The artists’ goals are to mix their contemporary styles of photography and art with the historical value of art in their culture. Using mixed media, the artists shared their Indian history with the present through the different mediums of art.

“I love to see the art,” junior Kelli Kirmer said. “The culture behind it just seems really interesting to me, so I’m excited to see how many different pieces there are.”

The artists tie together centuries old history with the 1947 Partition, which included today’s Pakistan, India and Bangladesh, and what is occurring there today. India gained its independence from British rule in 1947 after being a colony since 1858.

 “I met a young Indian woman who was a senior at East High, and POSTDATE brought tears to her eyes,” said Jennifer Lane, a spokeswoman for the Ulrich Museum.

“It was incredible to see someone so touched by this exhibition. She told me that as a first-generation Indian-American, she had grown up struggling with her identity, and that Indians in India have faced challenges with their identity as a result of colonialism and the 1947 Partition.

“She said that this exhibition addressed all of those issues beautifully.”

Jodi Throckmorton curated the exhibit. About 60 donors, faculty, staff, students and other art-lovers attended the reception Friday night.

“I think everyone had a great time, and that’s what it’s about,” Lane said. “It’s about celebrating all of the hard work and research that goes into making an exhibition like this happen.”