Transformative Journeys: A Symposium

I will be part of a symposium at the Bob Bullock Texas History Museum tomorrow. My talk will focus on the work of documentary artist Marcela Moran and visual artist Gil Rocha in the context of immigration. If you are in Austin would love to see you guys there.

TRANSFORMATIVE JOURNEYS: A SYMPOSIUM
Artists Convene at the Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum for Panel Discussion on Immigration, April 30th

Austin, TX -- In conjunction with the special exhibition "Forgotten Gateway: Coming to America Through Galveston Island," the Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum presents "Transformative Journeys: A Symposium," a FREE event at 7 pm, Thursday, April 30th. This panel discussion will explore how the experience of immigration and place has transformed the identities and work of four artists and one curator -- Eduardo Xavier Garcia, Terrence Moline, Tien Nguyen, Lordy Rodriguez, and Liliana Wilson. Each of these participants has work currently showing at a museum or cultural center in Austin. The dialogue will be moderated by Dr. Suzanne Seriff, guest curator of "Forgotten Gateway." "Transformative Journeys: A Symposium" is presented in collaboration with Austin Museum of Art, Austin History Center, the George Washington Carver Museum and Cultural Center, the Mexican American Cultural Center, and Mexic-Arte Museum. The event is FREE; for reservations, call (512) 936-4649.

ABOUT THE ARTISTS
Eduardo Xavier Garcia is the curator of "14th Annual Young Latino Artists Showcase" opening August 14, 2009, at Mexic-Arte Museum. Garcia's own work focuses on exploring new frontiers in non-traditional forms of art such as installation, performance, sound, and video.

Terrence Moline is an urban modernist who draws upon influences from hip hop, funk, soul and jazz. Musicians and music history influence his abstract expressionist works in oil, wax, graphite and in his graphic designs. Moline's work can be seen at the George Washington Carver Museum and Cultural Center in the exhibition "Current Reflections", through April 30, 2009.

Tien Nguyen developed his Micro Art (painting on grains of rice) during a seven year imprisonment at the end of the Vietnam War and continues to create this painstaking artwork, along with miniature models and paintings. Nguyen's work can be seen in the exhibition "Vietnam to Austin: Restoring Community," on display at the Austin History Center through July 17, 2009.

Lordy Rodriguez reconfigures maps inspired by his experience as an immigrant and frequent cross-country travels with his family. He challenges traditional geographic assumptions by creating imaginary maps based on his sense of place. His exhibition, "Lordy Rodriguez: States of America," is at Austin Museum of Art through May 17, 2009.

Liliana Wilson's work can be seen in the exhibition "Right Now From Far Away" at the Mexican American Cultural Center through June 6, 2009. A collaboration with Cecilia Sanchez Duarte from Mexico, this exhibition addresses topics related to contemporary visions of migration, gender issues, political concerns, and cultural roots, seen from different borders.

ABOUT FORGOTTEN GATEWAY
"Forgotten Gateway: Coming to America Through Galveston Island" is a first of its kind, multi-faceted exhibition that presents the story of Galveston as an immigrant port of entry into the US during the 19th and early 20th century. For many, the history of immigration into America at the turn of the twentieth century begins and ends at Ellis Island; however, around the nation, lesser known ports of entry including Galveston provided not only access to America, but also a new way of life for millions of immigrants. Now, these untold stories of the promises made, kept, and broken in bustling gateways will be told through an array of photographs, film footage, graphics, narratives, hands-on interactive experiences, and historic artifacts brought together for the first time in an exhibition that uses the experience of coming to America through Texas as a lens for public understanding of a shared national history. At the Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum through October. For more information, visit TheStoryofTexas.com.

"Transformative Journeys: A Symposium" will begin at 7 pm on Thursday, April 30th, in the Texas Spirit Theater at the Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum. Admission is FREE but reservations are required; call (512) 936-4649. The Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum is located at 1800 N. Congress Avenue at the corner of Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd. For more information, visit TheStoryofTexas.com or call (512) 936-4649.

Visit the Bob Bullock Texas History Museum site.

04.29.2009. - 22:26

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