MEDIA CONTACTS:
Kurie Fitzgerald, [email protected], 202-994-6461
Brett Zongker, [email protected], 202-994-6466
EXHIBITION:
The George Washington University Museum and The Textile Museum’s upcoming exhibition “Stories of Migration: Contemporary Artists Interpret Diaspora” features six invited and 38 juried textile artists who use this intimate and powerful medium to comment on migration. The artists explore: historic events that scattered people and cultures across continents; today’s accounts of migrants from Syria, Latin America and Africa adapting to new homes; and personal experiences of family members. The exhibition will feature works by artists such as fashion designer Hussein Chalayan, Mexican-American fiber artist Consuelo Jiménez Underwood, French-Togolese artist William Adjété Wilson and American artists Faith Ringgold and Penny Mateer. Works in the exhibition include large installations, fiber art and 2- and 3-D mixed media artworks.
The exhibition is co-organized with the Studio Art Quilt Associates and with assistance from GW’s Diaspora Program in the Elliott School of International Affairs.
Artists participating in the press preview:
William Adjété Wilson (“The Black Ocean”) – In this series of textile hangings, Mr. Wilson tells the 500-year narrative of his African lineage in a work that pays homage to his ancestors and reflects on humanity’s capacity for both nobility and depravity. “The Black Ocean” is comprised of 18 cotton panels—patchwork, appliqué and embroidery—illustrating in chronological order the plight and resilience of African people in the European and American diasporas from the 15th to the 21st century. Three panels will be displayed in the “Stories of Migration” exhibition, along with a monitor showcasing the complete series.
Consuelo Jiménez Underwood (“Undocumented Travelers. Xewa (Flower) Time”) – Ms. Underwood’s installation is part of her “Borderlandia” series recounting her personal experience as the daughter of an undocumented migrant farm worker and a third-generation Chicana. Ms. Underwood crossed the U.S.-Mexican border many times as a child, learning firsthand of the dangers and rewards of these crossings. Her site-specific installation—which will take over an entire wall in the exhibition—confronts the cultural and ecological ramifications of the controversial border in an exuberant display of paint, barbed wire and quilted flowers.
Penny Mateer (“The Past as Road to Tomorrow”) – Ms. Mateer’s artwork depicts a war scene of carnage—damaged buildings; men trudging dejectedly through a damaged city; and a Muslim woman, identified by her head scarf, caring for a wounded man. The scene is a composite of images of published photographs of the ongoing destruction in the Middle East that is causing Syrians and others to leave their homeland.
WHEN:
Saturday, April 16–Sunday, Sept. 4
WHERE:
The George Washington University Museum and The Textile Museum
701 21st St., NW
Washington, D.C.
Foggy Bottom-GWU Metro (Orange, Blue and Silver lines)
ADMISSION AND PUBLIC INFORMATION:
Admission is free for museum members, children and current GW students, faculty and staff. A suggested donation of $8 for non-members will support the museum’s exhibitions, collections and educational programs.
Museum hours: Monday, Wednesday–Friday: 11:30 a.m.-6:30 p.m.; Saturday: 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; Sunday: 1-5 p.m.
For more information visit: www.museum.gwu.edu or call 202-994-5200.
RSVP:
Media interested in getting a first look at the exhibition may attend a press preview on Friday, April 15 at 9 a.m. Please send your RSVP to Kurie Fitzgerald at [email protected] or 202-994-6461 by noon on Wednesday, April 13. Attention calendar editors: Please do not publish media contact information.
PHOTOS:
BACKGROUND:
The George Washington University Museum and The Textile Museum opened on March 21, 2015, on GW’s Foggy Bottom Campus. The custom-built museum displays The Textile Museum’s globally recognized collections of more than 20,000 textiles and related objects, and artworks owned by the university, including the Albert H. Small Washingtoniana Collection of 1,000 artifacts documenting the history of Washington, D.C. The museum offers educational programs, including lectures, tours and films that explore themes from the exhibition. Visit the online calendar for details.