i~vmu1n camrnone[l"lrre5-fe ea1e~r5fa~iftc ~ArsI~ .un en, , ., uence to, a weslC rn l .r _ e e carre a tons .c n e eer ) w:M' e' I .' - a n re lana artls , suc a~ . ose of oun a~s~ln¥an ar Lst.s 't; acfirJ rou ro .Ld l- to av a ur to an ar s auo.renc In e c w a l , 0 a e t.he i r rtwor .0 cr -Eo-en er t wor . tat, lS a 1 ton~lder L on wnen compare 0 f e Stue a E ~eSL-ern cnurrance ru.cn . .rti.ca anc -conorm.c real-ms a one w I st.i.c , ver llth, the nurnaru.s ,S ress b"\ rnerlcan nd l-~ae . lS S • PJ..lO OJ ) presse eQP e, t e opera· e at i.ons II ) 'twe nPc es lan-SJ an. r i.c ns: .sra l as leen rceo b e ea a ar ev 1 conr i. ct etwee. tee rt.ern nc . e. e 1,s S la , e . , u l g . en- ~a~r azedlmaOlar . ... - -. - . - . er uwat entl .ryear~VOl. )t ~ov ~rl· - - ,. •• -·0 - - - - e a l S s,~ ac- .or . lo~~a lS s a -.~.- .-.~.-'" ,s mee , 0 talk anc zro Dee eaqes .f.ra a an t anslcmon ot .( Tletnam te eranbtrom ,recrult t..rou lwar ex- )erience :::0hlS eCOffilnq:.an artlsf. n ~ke an' )Ub l medl.a t rles ot war tr urn ,In hl~ ~2.l::l ~Eg!J-~ErYQ~~vte~nl~~n::Fne£3.r1d~2JR-?-2t tofr~ Art can... and desires and fling them with clarity and coherence on the wall, a screen, a sheet of paper, or against the long silence of history ... Adrienne Rich, poet --_.:..-_--_.• Exhibitials & P-Jbli c lectw:eS en the sub~ of social and ~£ical in the arts. ~-Deoaiiber, 1990 strategies, art can be mobilized to influence public Those of us who recall the early fifties need little reminder to feel the fear generated awareness and to represent facts. Thus, when events by the Cold War. We found our nation "fIghting communism abroad, and at home, in the are symbolized by a persuasive artistic image, our media and behind secret doors. Even fluoride in public drinking water was evaluated in terms collective energies can be focused to either love or of socialist implications. Russia, the former ally against Germany, had turned rival for world strike fire at the heart of fellow beings. Consider, for domination, and became the Red scourge of trouble. Anyone found with traces of pink example, how aspirations for freedom can reach became blacklisted - or in the case of Julius and Ethel Rosenberg, convicted of passing revolutionary proportions when symbolized by a stand- secrets and electrocuted. ing woman with the torch of liberty in her hand (most recently Today, however, with very different national interests being in Tienanmen Square). Or how exercised, especially in the Middle East, the Soviets are on emotions have been inflamed by 'our' side. So too are the Japanese and the Gennans. Even using the face of a sLIffering child Vietnam is being rehabilitated, due to mutual interests in who trembles in the presence of Cambodia. Times change. In Czechoslovakia, a playwright a tyrant. Power stems from the who was jailed for his controversial views of the state image which becomes an icon of becomes president. Political winds sweep the passions truth - however it is attributed of men with the changing interests of the state. The axis of the world shifts once more. Throughout the 19th and 20th centuries, artists have directly Throughout history, there are those who have expressed participated worldwide, both in their views in terms of feelings and ways of knowing which support of, and in opposition to, contradict the 'facts' presented by those in authority. The the movements of democracies, taking of an oppositional stance is, by its own nature, a totalitarian states, and revolu- source for the political and social commentary of artists tions. Whether in the service of and philosophers. In this country, opposition to authority humanity or the state, art with is virtually a tradition. especially in light of the American a message has been an integral sense of individualism. The scrutinizing of authority and part of political and social discourse. official policy is a prerogative of citizenship. not to mention being the modus operandi of a free press. When translated Spirit Square Center for the Arts into artmaking, pictorial imagery has the unique ability.....-and is providing Message Art programs unparalleled power-to cut through any argument while throughout the Fall and into the appealing to the heart. Winter season of 1991 in response to a number of coincident recent But art is as much a tool for systems of propaganda as circumstances which include the it is for raising attention to the failures of the same system. ending of the Cold War; our Used as image tools in the service of political or social Through the Keyhole. 1984. by Leon Mar<:us national involvement in the Middle East: and conoreasfona! debate over the role of social Opening November 2, t 990, in Middleton-McMillan commentary in the arts as it pertains to the National Endowment for- the Arts. Since it is Gallery, is "An Allegorical Landscape: Through Israeli Spirit Square's mission to help bridge various sectors of the Chartctte-Mecklenburo com- Eyes," which features paintings by Pamela Levy and munity, as well as to draw lines between the humanities and the arts, and because Spirit multi-media installations by David Melamed, The work. Square recognizes the role of the arts as an integral part of social and political discourse, of both Israeli artists addresses a deep crisis in their the arts institution offers a forum fa, the discourse. society. Pamela Levy portrays disconsonant circum- stances between figures and the landscape. David The program schedule begins September 7, 1990, with "Unknown Secrets: Art and the Melamed mourns the loss of an idealized mythic Rosenberg Era," a traveling multi-media exhibition in Knight Gallery, curated by Nina Felshin source for Israel's Zionist heritage. and organized by the Rosenberg Era Art Project which features the The Vietnam Era represents work of artists of the 1950s and another crucial historical period '80s. It is followed September 21 of extraordinary involvement by by two concurrent exhlbttlons: artists. In film, literature, perfor- "Occupation and Resistance: mance and visual art, Vietnam American Impressions," in has become the source for a wide Middleton-McMillan Gallery, curated range of creative expression. by Gena Rodriguez, Director of the Following the Palestinian artwork Alternative Museum in New York, in First Union Gallery, beginning which includes the multi-media Ncvernber- 4th, is "A Soldier's response artwork of 16 American Heart," a painting series by Kate artists who were invited to visit the Collie in collaboration with Stephen West Bank and Gaza Strip to expe- Piscitelli, which images trauma and rience the Israel/Palestine situation transition of Piscitelli as a Vietnam firsthand: and in the First Union veteran from recruit through his Gallery, "Colors of the People: Art war experience to his becoming by Palestinians," named for the an artist. Unlike any public media fact that using the colors of the stories of war trauma, in this Palestinian flag, red, black and collaboration between painter green, is illegal in art-making. and soldier, there is a message Photographs are the vehicle for of understanding. Charlotte veter- this display by young Palestinians ans groups will provide assistance who make imagery for their revolu- for this program by contributing tion since the artwork presented is Untitled, 1952 by Pablo Picasso. support toward readings of censored by Israeli authorities. The Vietnam Era poetry, original artwork could not be removed from the country, These exhibitions and activities serve to bring together the work of artists from across the To provide a better understanding of the broader nation and abroad, exposing the community to artists from the '80s whose work comments social and political context of these artworks, Spirit upon contemporary issues - and in the case of "Unknown Secrets," historical sources to Square will co-sponsor a public panel discussion on currerrt-oav issues. Some of the artists who have vivid memories of the heat of the Cold Wa, the Israel/Palestine situation with the Charlotte World have been asked to contribute their work on issues which energized McCarthyism, which Affairs Council. Speakers will come thmugh the blacklisted artists with great zeal and publicity during the '50s. These targeted artists have auspices of Charlotte's international community and much to say about such issues as communism, anti-Semitism, freedom of speech, and due will include the exhlbtttons curator, Geno Rodriguez. process of law. To illuminate the collective and individual experiences of many Vietnam Era soldiers-turned-artists, poetry ,eadings will be presented by former U.s, combat Marine 2 William D. Ehrhart, who is a poet One is easily struck by the passion and commitment and editor of several Vietnam Era of the Palestinian artists of East Jerusalem, They poetry anthologies. Also included operate with limited resources, while bearing extra- will be selected readings of the ordinary artistic hardship. They see their role in the writings of Charlottean service of the intefada. One wonders how their Loch Walker. American counterparts would be able to function under such circumstances. Other connections can be drawn as the program unfolds. There is In August, 1990, Spirit Square and the community much that the Israeli and American experimented with an unjuried arts program entitled artists have in common, not the "Freedom of Expression." Open submissions were least of which is fundamental welcomed by anyone who wished to submit artwork, influence from a Western art tra- films and videos, as well as pertormence art propos- dition, Simpler correlations can be als.