100 years; for better or worse
public reception: June 4, 2009, 6 to 8pm
exhibit: June 4 to 26, 2009
www.4culture.org/publicart/gallery
In recognition the Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition (A-Y-P) Centennial, Gallery4Culture is pleased to present, 100 years; for better or worse, a collection of contemporary visual art responses to the legacy of our region’s first world fair. In 100 years; for better or worse, lead artists Dawn Cerny and Patrick Holderfield present a cohesive exhibit examining cultural shifts in attitudes toward indigenous peoples since 1909. Many of the artworks are a reaction to the A-Y-P’s premier attraction, the “Igorrote Village”, where approximately fifty Filipinos (men, women and children) were relocated from a remote village of the Philippine Islands to be on display at the fair from June through mid-October 1909. A sensationalized environment was constructed where they were able to be seen at work and at play, depicting a skewed and stereotyped view of Filipino life and culture. Such exploitive exhibits of indigenous peoples were common at world exhibitions in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Read More.
Listen to Dawn Cerny talk about 100 years; for better or worse
image: © Dawn Cerny, 2009, We hate you, silk, felt, fringe
