Page 17 - the NOISE September 2012

Tarahumara by Rachel Running is among the artist’s retrospec- tive “Beyond the Border” at Flagstaff Photography Center.
town Flagstaff on September 28, from 6 to 9PM. “Beyond the Border,” through visual art ad- dresses the issues taking place at the US /
Mexico border. Artwork from the Continental Divide Exhibition; three invited artists: Valerie James, Antonia Gallegos and Raechel Running; and juried art from a national call for entries will be on display. In the Jewel Gallery a show by Flagstaff Arts & Leadership Academy stu- dents called Oferendas/Offerings will be open at the same time.
“Jason Hasenbank and I were contacted by Borderlands Sierra Club’s Dan Millis last De- cember,” Ms. Running tells me. “This will be the first community collaboration between The Flagstaff Cultural Partners, The Flagstaff Pho- tography Center, FALA, The Festival of Science, Borderlands Sierra Club and NAU Latin Ameri- can Studies for Beyond the Border: The Wall, The People, The Land.”
Ms. Running tells me about her show at the Flagstaff Photography Center. “My show NEPANTLA-Tierra Entre Medio/Between Worlds, explores the cultural and land connections of the Gran Chichimeca: Southwestern US and Northern Mexico. I discovered the writing of Gloria Anzaldua when Jason and I began to work on the concepts of the Borderlands show last winter. Anzaldua’s work spoke to me as I myself came to an unexpected crossroad and life changes of living between Mexico and the US these past five years. There are feelings of being caught between worlds; the edges blur that separate and connect. It’s a world that is tragic and brave, fierce and tender. I am in- spired by the symbol of the T-door as a meta- phor connecting the past and the future, and
connects people metaphorically to the earth. It is deeply rooted in ancient America. It is a difficult place to navigate because the realities are not black and white. Out of the despair and tragedy of these times there is still something beautiful and passionate that is hopeful. When you love land and people there are ways to transform borders into bridges of communica- tion.”
“I hope to inspire people to explore their own personal borders and to cultivate empathy and interest in the rich history we share with the cultures of the borderlands,” Ms. Running says.
“I think we need to foster hope and kinship through sharing stories from the borderlands. I want to help people be inspired by the diverse and rich history of the region and reconsider our border/immigration policies that affect our countries, our communities and our own hu- man experiences.” CulturalPartners.org, Flag- staffPhotographyCenter.com
POETRY IN PAINT
Combining her art with her writing, Erica Fareio brings a new display of her paintings to West of the Moon Gallery this September. Each colorful and detailed work of art will be accompanied by a poem or meditation that came to the artist.
“Sometimes the image will come to me first and the concepts and metaphors will fall into place as I am painting,” Ms. Fareio tells me.
“Sometimes it is a word or title that comes first and sometimes it all happens simultaneously. When the creative ideas come to me, it is when I am still and observing nature or when I am in meditation or the yoga room.”
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thenoise.us • the NOISE arts & news magazine • SEPTEMBER 2012 • 17