Amy H. Carberry Fine Arts Gallery features Racist Memorabilia from Jim Crow Museum
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – From the Jim Crow Museum of Racist Memorabilia in Michigan, a special traveling exhibition opened Sept. 11, at the Amy H. Carberry Fine Arts Gallery at Springfield Technical Community College.
"THEM: Images of Separation” tackles some of the most contentious, hot-button cultural issues: anti-Arab sentiment, Holocaust denial, "don't ask, don't tell" and immigration among the six three-dimensional and 32 framed pieces on view through Oct. 1.
"THEM: Images of Separation," is a traveling exhibit that showcases items from popular culture used to stereotype groups of people. Negative imagery found on postcards, license plates, games, souvenirs, and costumes has promoted stereotyping against such groups as African-Americans, Asian-Americans, Hispanics, Jews, and poor whites, as well as those who are "other" in terms of body type or sexual orientation. The museum’s mission is to use objects of intolerance to teach tolerance and promote social justice.
For this show, we took our direction from Martin Luther King's famous quote, ‘Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.’Dr. David Pilgrim, Founder & Director, Jim Crow Museum
Dr. David Pilgrim, founder and director of the Jim Crow Museum, the nation’s largest, publicly accessible collection of racist objects, and Ferris State University professor of sociology, will be guest speaker on Sept. 23, 11:15 a.m., Scibelli Theater.
Pilgrim said "THEM" responds to questions he received from people who visited the Jim Crow Museum and have seen other traveling exhibits provided by the museum, which primarily focus on imagery demeaning to African-Americans. "In the past we had people ask why we did not have objects that dealt with groups other than African-Americans," Pilgrim said. "For this show, we took our direction from Martin Luther King's famous quote, ‘Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.’ “
The exhibition includes items demeaning to African-Americans, but that is only a part of the exhibition's larger picture. "I'm hoping 'THEM' shows discrimination and stereotyping is not just a black/white issue – it's more pervasive than that," said Pilgrim.
The Jim Crow Museum of Racist Memorabilia located at Ferris State University in Big Rapids, Mich., strives to become a leader in social activism and the discussion of race and race relations. The museum's mission is achieved by collecting, preserving, exhibiting, teaching and learning about objects and artifacts related to racial segregation, anti-black caricatures, civil rights and African American achievement. More information about the Jim Crow Museum can be found at www.ferris.edu/HTMLS/news/jimcrow/index.htm
The exhibition is supported in part by the office of Multicultural Affairs and the School of Liberal and Professional Studies.
About the Gallery
The Amy H. Carberry Fine Arts Gallery at Springfield Technical Community College presents six exhibits each academic year, featuring works by artists of local and national repute as well as STCC student work. The gallery is located in Building 28, first floor, on the Pearl Street side of the STCC campus. The gallery is supported in part by funding from the School of Liberal and Professional Studies. Find the Amy H. Carberry Fine Arts Gallery on Facebook or follow on Twitter @STCCArtGallery. Free parking available immediately behind B28 in K lot accessed via Pearl Street gate.
Special extended gallery hours during this exhibition: Monday, 10:45am to 1:30pm; Tuesday through Friday, 12:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. or by appointment. Please contact Sondra Peron, professor of art and gallery coordinator, for access outside of regularly scheduled hours. speron@stcc.edu
About Springfield Technical Community College
Founded in 1967 and located on 35 acres of the Springfield Armory National Historic Site, STCC is a major resource for the economic vitality of Western Massachusetts. As the only technical community college in Massachusetts, STCC, a designated Hispanic Serving Institution, offers a variety of career programs unequalled in the state. STCC’s highly regarded transfer programs in business, engineering, liberal arts, science and technology continue to provide the most economical options for students pursuing a four-year degree. With an annual enrollment of about 7,000 day, evening, weekend and online students, STCC is a vibrant campus rich in diversity.
For more information about STCC, visit www.stcc.edu. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter (@S_T_C_C).
MEDIA CONTACT:
Jim Danko, (4123) 755-4812, jdanko@stcc.edu