From January 8 to February 20, explore the wonders of Chinese traditions at the Pensacola Museum of Art.

On display are elaborately embroidered children’s hats alongside exquisite watercolors by Weizhi Zhang.

The elaborate ornamentation and bright colors of the PMA’s collection of Chinese children’s hats invoke images of festive, whimsical occasions.

These hats played an important role in traditional Chinese society. In the rural villages where the hats originated, diseases were traditionally believed to be the result of evil spirits. In an effort to frighten them away, mothers and grandmothers handcrafted hats for their children to wear, illustrating them with fierce animals and mythical creatures to protect the child against harm.

Alongside these treasures of traditional culture will be watercolors depicting the conflicts between preserving China’s rich history in the face of modernization. On display will be watercolors by Weizhi Zhang of the destroyed Beijing residential courtyard gates as a result of urban development.

Call 850-432-6247 for more information and hours of operation.