Editor’s note: The following information was provided by the College of Arts & Communication, Department of Art & Design, Crossman Gallery. The image on the homepage is a tapestry by Ger Xiong.
The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater is pleased to welcome “Hyphenated” in exhibit at the Crossman Gallery September 20, 2021 through November 5, 2021. An opening reception will be held on September 21, 2021 from 5:00 – 7:00 pm. Admission is free and open to the public. Gallery hours are Monday, Wednesday, Thursday from 10:00 am – 12:00 pm and 3:00 pm – 6:00 pm, and Tuesday from 10:00 am – 12:00 pm and 3:00 pm – 4:30 pm. Masks are required for anyone entering a campus building. For the most current safety guidelines, please visit the Warhawks are Back webpage at uww.edu/warhawks-are-back. The Crossman Gallery is located at 950 W. Main Street, Whitewater, WI 53190 in the Greenhill Center of the Arts.
“Hyphenated” features fourteen BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) and two-spirit (2S+) artists, and showcases technically diverse artworks of regional, national and international artists addressing a range of personal experiences and emotions in response to markers of identity that for some, reference both ancestry and citizenship. Materials include works on paper, mixed-media installation, metal, clay, textile and paint.
Through process, material and concept the invited artists address the themes of personal and attributed identification. Each artist, through their authentic lens, speaks to perceived hierarchies, notions of “otherness” and diversity that structure their lives. As a way to resist assimilation and celebrate authentic intersectional identities, the artists address a broad range of topics (historical and contemporary) related to the idea of “hyphenated identity.” The artists employ diverse materials and processes ranging from 3D-printed ceramics, metalwork, and printmaking to centuries old hand woven textile techniques that confront and complicate the imperative to assimilate.
“Hyphenated” is curated by Teresa Faris, Professor of Art and Design. “Historically, in this country, hyphenated identities have often been used as a way to ‘other’ anyone who did not/could not assimilate into the dominant ‘American’ culture. Today, some people are choosing to use hyphenated identities as a way to reclaim an authentic voice and to resist assimilation. Through artwork we are able to see the complexities of this theme in ways that are inviting, confrontational, quiet, loud and thought provoking,” says Faris. The exhibit includes remarkable works by Brian Fleetwood, CK Ledesma, Dakota Mace, Ger Xiong (alum), Juvana Soliven, Kyle Patnaude, Linda Tien, matt lambert, nibiiwakamigkwe, Roberto Torres, Sanna Stabell, Taekyeom Lee and Tanya Crane, and William Thomas (alum).
