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Closing Weekend of ”Emancipating the Past: Kara Walker’s Tales of Slavery and Power” Includes Special Events

 

Events include art collector Jordan Schnitzer and Portland State University’s Walidah Imarisha

 

EUGENE, Ore. -- (March 21, 2014) – For the closing weekend of “Emancipating the Past: Kara Walker’s Tales of Slavery and Power,” the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art has special events with collector Jordan Schnitzer, Walidah Imarisha and free admission on Friday, April 4. The exhibition, which closes on April 6, 2014, explores Walker’s innovative approach to historical narrative and the complexities and ambiguities of racial representation in her work.

 

On Friday, April 4, from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m., the JSMA will host a repeat presentation of “Why Aren’t There More Black People in Oregon? A Hidden History” with Portland State University professor Walidah Imarisha. Originally held in February to standing-room-only audiences at the Eugene Public Library and made possible by Oregon Humanities, the “conversation” addresses the shocking history of racial exclusion and discrimination in our state.  Imarisha’s presentation is made possible at UO with the generous support of the JSMA, the Office of the Vice President for Equity and Inclusion and the Division of Student Affairs at University of Oregon with additional support from the Eugene Public Library. The JSMA offers free admission on the first Friday of every month, so visitors can explore the galleries prior to the program at no charge.

 

On Saturday, April 5, at 2 p.m. Jill Hartz, JSMA executive director, will interview art collector Jordan Schnitzer about his collecting passion, history, and lessons learned. “Emancipating the Past” features 60 objects from the collections of Jordan D. Schnitzer and his Family Foundation.

 

Organized by the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art and curated by Jessi DiTillio, JSMA assistant curator of contemporary art, “Emancipating the Past” explores the aesthetic and political techniques of Walker’s art practice through a range of different projects, and brings together some of her earliest and most recent artworks.

 

Emerging in New York in the mid-1990s, Walker has become one of the most successful and controversial artists working today. She is known for her black cut-paper silhouettes, which enact violent and uncanny scenes of the Antebellum South that upend notions of historical propriety. In Walker’s hands, the dainty Victorian medium of silhouette becomes a tool for examining violence, oppression, and domination. Through elegant images and dark humor, Walker’s work provides a critical forum for discussing the difficult issues that persist in American race relations 150 years after the Emancipation Proclamation.

 

“Emancipating the Past” is made possible by Jordan D. Schnitzer and his Family Foundation. Additional support for the exhibition is provided by the Coeta and Donald Barker Special Exhibitions Endowment, The Harold and Arlene Schnitzer CARE Foundation, a grant from the Oregon Arts Commission and the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency, and JSMA members.

 

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

Free First Friday
Friday, April 4, 11:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Explore the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art with free admission.

Why Aren't There More Black People in Oregon?  A Hidden History
A Conversation with Walidah Imarisha
Friday, April 4, 3:30 – 5:30 p.m.
Have you ever wondered why the Black population in Oregon is so small? Oregon has a history not only of Black exclusion and discrimination, but also of a vibrant Black culture that helped sustain many communities throughout the state—a history that is not taught in schools.  Join Portland State University author and adjunct professor Walidah Imarisha for this free conversation, organized for the closing week of “Emancipating the Past.” This program is made possible by the generous support of the JSMA, the Office of the Vice President for Equity and Inclusion and the Division of Student Affairs at University of Oregon, with additional support from the Eugene Public Library. 

A Conversation about Collecting with Jordan Schnitzer
Saturday, April 5, 2 p.m.

JSMA executive director Jill Hartz interviews collector Jordan Schnitzer about his collecting passion, history, and lessons learned.

 

About the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art

The University of Oregon's Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art is a premier Pacific Northwest museum for exhibitions and collections of historic and contemporary art based in a major university setting. The mission of the museum is to enhance the University of Oregon’s academic mission and to further the appreciation and enjoyment of the visual arts for the general public.  The JSMA features significant collections galleries devoted to art from China, Japan, Korea, America, Europe and elsewhere as well as changing special exhibition galleries.  The JSMA is one of six museums in the state of Oregon—and the only university museum--accredited by the American Alliance of Museums.

 

The Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art is located on the University of Oregon campus at 1430 Johnson Lane. Museum hours are 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesdays, and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays through Sundays. Admission is $5 for adults and $3 for senior citizens. Free admission is given to ages 18 and under, JSMA members, college students with ID, and University of Oregon faculty, staff and students. For information, contact the JSMA, 541-346-3027.

 

About the Jordan Schnitzer Family Foundation (JSFF)

The Jordan Schnitzer Family Foundation makes its collections of post-war works of art available to museums at no cost.  In addition, it also provides funds for education and community outreach programs. To learn more about JSFF, contact:  Tracy Savage, Curator, (503) 450-0777, tracys@jordanschnitzer.org

 

About the University of Oregon

The University of Oregon is among the 108 institutions chosen from 4,633 U.S. universities for top-tier designation of "Very High Research Activity" in the 2010 Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education. The UO also is one of two Pacific Northwest members of the Association of American Universities.

 

Contacts: Debbie Williamson Smith, JSMA Communications Manager, 541-346-0942, debbiews@uoregon.edu

JSFF Media Inquiries:  Susanne Orton, VP of Marketing and Communications, 503-973-0298, susanneo@harsch.com

 

Links: Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art, http://jsma.uoregon.edu

Jordan Schnitzer Family Foundation, www.jordanschnitzer.org