STEPPING OUT

Can you define American culture? 

Not an easy question to answer. 

People who live out of the country 

often suggest that America represents equality and opportunity.

Those of us who have lived in the mainstream have a chance this summer to take in a wealth of America that we have missed. We can travel first of all, but we can read books, go to exhibits, and attend music and art festivals to immerse ourselves and become more aware of all the cultures that make up America, and we can volunteer with numerous organizations to strengthen bonds between groups. We have the chance to grow into a more inclusive country.

We can learn more about American history that includes events such as the Tulsa Massacre that for most of us were missing from our history books. We know that many of us come from immigrant families. We take pride in that idea. When you listen to the other voices in America, you begin to understand what you have missed: wisdom from a different way of life, hardship brought about by prejudice, gerrymandering, and incarceration, and a common appreciation of American ideals. We have the chance to step up to inclusiveness and fairness. What better time than now?

The Smithsonian American Art Museum offers an exhibit called "The Rise and Impact of Chicano Graphics."

portrait of Dolores Huerta, activist
by Babara Carrasco
at the Smithsonian American Art Museum

The Minneapolis Institute of Art has an exhibit of Leslie Barlow's work, "Within, Between, and Beyond," about mixed-raced Americans.

Kelly Shay & her 2 Daughters
by Leslie Barlow
at the Minneapolis Institute of Art

The Soul Box Project in Portland, Oregon, whose volunteers have made over 180,000 boxes to commemorate the lives lost to gun violence, will exhibit 70,000 of the boxes at the Multnomah Arts Center. This is a pre-exhibit before the collection of boxes will be taken to Washington, D.C., for display at the National Mall on October 16-17, 2021. They are hoping to have 200,000 made by then and could use more volunteers.

Don't miss the Art and Soul Festival in Oakland, CA in July (dates will depend on continued good news about the pandemic receding).

Good books to read this summer:

Check out these exhibits at museums around the country:

Take a walk through the Legacy Museum and Memorial in Birmingham, Alabama

https://museumandmemorial.eji.org

"The Rise and Impact of Chicano Graphics" at the Smithsonian American Art Museum:

https://americanart.si.edu/exhibitions/chicano-graphics 

We missed this exhibit of Native American artwork at the Minneapolis Institute of Art (MIA), but you can see parts of it online or purchase the exhibit's booklet: Hearts of Our People

https://new.artsmia.org/hearts-of-our-people-native-women-artists/

Don't miss "In the Presence of our Ancestors: Southern Perspectives in African American Art"  and Leslie Barlow's exhibit about mixed-race people, "Within, Between, and Beyond" at MIA

Or go to the Chicago Institute of Art: "Bisa Butler: Portraits" quilts that are eye-popping.

https://www.artic.edu/exhibitions/9324/bisa-butler-portraits

Join with other volunteers to make Soul Boxes:

https://soulboxproject.org/home

Check the website for news about the 2021 Art & Soul Festival. The 2019 guide is on the website and gives a good overview of what to expect at the festival:

https://www.artandsouloakland.com