Thematic Exhibiting: Connecting Through Creativity with Jean Wang

Thematic exhibitors have the luxury of drawing from all branches of philately to illustrate their (non-philatelic) story, and are limited only by their imagination when searching for items to include. Linking philatelic elements that at first glance don’t have an obvious connection to the story provides a creative outlet that is unique to thematics. In this course, Grand Award winner Jean Wang will demonstrate how exhibitors can use innovative approaches to illustrate their story. She will also discuss the concept of Development - the addition of new story lines and elaboration of existing ones with illustration of thematic details. Both novice and experienced thematic exhibitors will benefit from this course. Session I Jean will show examples from her Blood exhibit to demonstrate how thematic exhibitors can use creativity and draw on all branches of philately to illustrate a non-philatelic story. After the first session, participants will be invited to send a scan of an item they want to use in an exhibit or to outline a point they want to make in the non-philatelic story for which they need ideas of philatelic items to seek out. Session II Discussion and brainstorming using information from the first session as it applies to submissions by participants. Instructor Jean Wang is a hematologist and leukemia researcher in Toronto, Canada. Her thematic exhibit, Blood: a Modern Medicine, won the grand award at CANPEX in 2019 and ORAPEX in 2022. She is one of the most accomplished thematic exhibitors working today.