Cultural Relevance: An Intimate Glimpse
A glimpse into everyday moments (photo exhibit).
Opening Reception
March 23, 2023
Thursday
4:00 to 7:00 pm
Exhibit Dates
March 27 to April 27, 2023
Monday to Thursday
12:00 to 4:00 pm
About the Exhibition
As a gallery in an educational institution, we are tasked with devising ways to expand the definition of art and the scope of our role within the community. As educators, we realize that we have a responsibility to be self-reflective, to explore, and to address how we view and practice the process of educating. The idea for this exhibit had its beginnings in a series of conversations with Brian Rickel, Kathryn Mayo, Ray Neuharth, Robin Johnson and Martin Flynn about the mission of the CRC Gallery. Over the course of two semesters, there were several impromptu discussions about how we could represent the demographic and cultural make-up of our CRC community and initiate a dialog about hope and change. Without the vision, artistry and contribution of these people, this work could not have been realized.
The concept of education is evolving, and a more democratic and cooperative model of learning is emerging. We began to reimagine the relationship between educators and the community, and decided to invite the community to educate us. To that end, we began to plan an exhibit celebrating the everyday expression of culture as experienced by the people who identify with that culture. We have recruited participants from a spectrum of roles and cultures. They represent cultural constructs built around race and nationality; sexual orientation and identification; and interests like gaming, manga, the arts, food, machines and many others. Participants will be taking photographs of their everyday moments, their food preparation, family gatherings, bedroom décor, gaming systems, costumes, fashion regalia, and anything pertinent to the unique expression of their culture. In that way, they will define their culture according to what they believe their culture to be. This concept of what constitutes culture is complex and as nuanced as our society. Many people identify with several cultures; many are members of several “traditional” cultures. This cultural evolution of idea and identity is expressed through the lens of the personal. It gives us a glimpse into that complex model of evolving culture and provides a window into ways in which we perceive ourselves and our reality. Ultimately, multiculturalism is changing the syntax of our cultural dialog.
We operate in an amalgamation of cultures. The way we perceive ourselves and our experience is determined by a metaculture that goes beyond insularity. We are embracing our diversity, understanding that our collective culture is enlivened and enriched by our many cultural influences. We become as dimensional and as diverse as our community. It is our intent to show the many faces of culture; we are culture. We are theater. We are music. We are movement. We are technology. We are science. We are Art.