Art and politics combined May 31 as the ProAmerica exhibition took over the Price Center galleries.
Although the event was titled ProAmerica, it was not necessarily pro-government in that it offered varying viewpoints. Some of the art showed support for the present U.S. role as a world power, while other pieces questioned recent foreign and domestic affairs.
The art covered different aspects of America in several mediums. Photographs, paintings and poetry covered the walls, while two videos played on opposite ends of the gallery. One video questioned the nation’s response to Sept. 11 and its sudden acceptance of President George W. Bush, while the other showed skewed close-up images of fireworks while the recording of a New Year’s Eve news report played in the background.
“”One of the problems that I see is that a lot of different people feel a lot of different things, but they’re not talking to each other,”” said event organizer and visual arts student Dawn Chenette.
“”Even though this show does have a slant of sarcasm to it, it’s really about asking questions and about asking what freedom really is.””
Chenette, along with fellow visual art student Kim Daniels, put on the show to create a space in which various artists could present their work dealing with a post-Sept. 11 America, she said.
One of the works displayed was a series of three black-and-white photos of color-enhanced 7-Eleven Slurpies in cups reading “”United We Stand,”” with one word adorning each photo.
A more somber photomural showed images of a struggling human figure bound up entirely in cloth.
The show’s theme was chosen in response to the ProAmerica Coalition, a group which formed on campus after the Sept. 11 attacks, Daniels said.
“”They seem to want to define the word ‘pro-America’ for all the students on campus as a statement that meant we should support our flag, you should support our president, you shouldn’t question why the world hates us or why certain groups are upset with the United States,”” Daniels said.
Despite the controversial works at the exhibit, the atmosphere at the ProAmerica exhibit was casual. A DJ played upbeat music, a buffet offered wine and refreshments, and festive red, white and blue crepe paper hung around the room. About 25 students milled around the room and there was much coming and going.
The overall goal of the evening was a positive one, Chenette explained.
“”Every artist here believes something different, so to me it’s kind of like what America is,”” Chenette said. “”We don’t all have the same opinion.””