Spring Break
The Daily OrangeDrawing from a journey
Immigrant art exhibit paints history with authentic work
By Caitlin Dewey
Posted: 1/14/09, 3:45 AM EST Section: Feature
All of the artists featured in the exhibit were prominent in their respective fields. Many of them had already achieved success in their home countries before coming to the United States; once here, they became influential figures in American art, music, dance and design.
Their goal in selecting these artists, Dombrowolski said, was to not only choose artists from an array of fields and countries, but also to emphasize the artists' physical and cultural journeys.
"Our focus was always the migration," she said. "We focused on the artist's childhood and education and what brought them to this country. They all did great things while they were here, but we were specifically interested in the immigration aspect."
This aspect, more than anything, is what Verheyen considers the exhibit's main success.
"It's my hope that visitors to the exhibit learned more about the people who shaped our culture," he said. "They came from different backgrounds in Europe, but they dove right in and contributed to the culture and life of the country. Immigration tends to be something that's discussed negatively in our society these days, but we're a nation of immigrants."
The exhibit will closed next Tuesday, after what Dombrowolski called five very successful months.
"A lot of classes and community members came through," she said. "We even had a class from another university visit."
The exhibit's greatest accomplishment, however, may have been the emotional resonance it had with many of its visitors, who - like Verheyen and Dombrowolski - felt a personal connection to the artists' stories.
"We have a lot of researchers come from out of town," Dombrowolski said. "Several of them were the children or relatives of immigrants, and they were really interested in the exhibit. They liked the photos and old documents especially … there were a lot of similarities with their own experiences."
cedewey@syr.edu
Their goal in selecting these artists, Dombrowolski said, was to not only choose artists from an array of fields and countries, but also to emphasize the artists' physical and cultural journeys.
"Our focus was always the migration," she said. "We focused on the artist's childhood and education and what brought them to this country. They all did great things while they were here, but we were specifically interested in the immigration aspect."
This aspect, more than anything, is what Verheyen considers the exhibit's main success.
"It's my hope that visitors to the exhibit learned more about the people who shaped our culture," he said. "They came from different backgrounds in Europe, but they dove right in and contributed to the culture and life of the country. Immigration tends to be something that's discussed negatively in our society these days, but we're a nation of immigrants."
The exhibit will closed next Tuesday, after what Dombrowolski called five very successful months.
"A lot of classes and community members came through," she said. "We even had a class from another university visit."
The exhibit's greatest accomplishment, however, may have been the emotional resonance it had with many of its visitors, who - like Verheyen and Dombrowolski - felt a personal connection to the artists' stories.
"We have a lot of researchers come from out of town," Dombrowolski said. "Several of them were the children or relatives of immigrants, and they were really interested in the exhibit. They liked the photos and old documents especially … there were a lot of similarities with their own experiences."
cedewey@syr.edu
Be the first to comment on this story