The Pensacola Museum of Art continues to exhibit Traditional Chinese embroidery and watercolors through February 20.

Explore the wonders of Chinese traditions. 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, children were especially susceptible to illness, 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. Zhang began his journey through Beijing’s maze of lanes in 2001, capturing endangered traditional courtyard gates before they were destroyed to make room for new buildings and arenas, primarily for the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

Museum hours of operation are Tuesday - Friday from 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. and Saturday - Sunday from noon - 5 p.m.

For more information, contact PMA at 850-432- 6247 or visit their Website at www.pensacolamuseumofart. org.