ARTISTS WEAVE FABRICS OF MEMORY IN NEW MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY MUSEUM EXHIBIT

"Weavings of War: Fabrics of Memory" opened Jan. 22 at Michigan State University Museum, representing an eloquent and powerful testimony of the impacts of modern warfare in our world and the relevancy and resilience of folk arts in contemporary life.

"Weavings of War" showcases textiles made in a variety of techniques and for different purposes by artists -- mostly women -- who have incorporated pictorial imagery in their work to communicate their personal and collective experiences with war.

"These textiles arise from disparate cultural groups and reflect conflicts situated in areas of the world thousands of miles apart, occurring in different periods and motivated by different reasons," notes Marsha MacDowell, curator of folk arts and professor of art and art history at Michigan State University. "At the same time, the works embody powerful messages for those concerned with the impact of conflict on both individuals -- notably women -- and their communities.'

The exhibition provides an opportunity to examine existing notions of not only traditional arts in general but also the role of traditional arts in cultures rent by armed conflict, social upheaval and displacement, MacDowell adds.

The objects included in "Weavings of War" encompass powerful contradictions: individual artistry versus community aesthetics; global versus local impacts of war; individual versus universal experience; and assumptions of folk arts as unchanging, rural and complacent.

Many of the artists represented by the work in "Weavings of War" still live in countries marked by recent conflict; some are refugees who have resettled in the United States. Examples of work are drawn from residents in and refugees from Afghanistan, Chile, Laos, Lebanon, Peru, South Africa and Thailand.

The exhibition and accompanying publication (available for purchase at the Museum Store) were produced by City Lore (New York City), Michigan Traditional Arts Program/Michigan State University Museum, and the Vermont Folklife Center (Middlebury), three nationally-recognized organizations that have long been committed to documenting and presenting traditional arts and artists, not only of their immediate geographical areas, but also of artists beyond. Major funding for this project has been provided by The Rockefeller Foundation, The Coby Foundation, and the National Endowment for the Arts.

"Weavings of War" runs from Jan. 22 - June 30, 2006, in MSU Museum's Main Gallery. For information on upcoming programs, call (517) 355-2370 or see museum.msu.edu . The Museum Store will also feature selected textile arts and publications in conjunction with this exhibit.

MSU MUSEUM EXHIBIT EXPLORES ART, EDUCATION AND AIDS IN SOUTH AFRICA Traditional arts have become the wellspring of inspiration for an innovative new approach to educating the public about the dangers of AIDS. The exhibition "Siyazama: Traditional Arts, Education, and AIDS in South Africa" opens at the Michigan State University Museum on Feb. 5, 2006.

"Throughout the world art has long been used as a tool for cultural, social and economic change," notes Marsha MacDowell, MSU Museum curator of folk arts and MSU professor of art and art history. "In South Africa many educators and activists used performing and visual arts in the successful anti-apartheid movement. Now arts are being used there to inform and inspire citizens about the AIDS epidemic."

One arts-based intervention, the Siyazama (Zulu for "we are trying") Project, uses traditional and contemporary artistic expression to document the realities of HIV/AIDS and to open lines of communication about the virus. Though based in South Africa, the project is a model for collaborations among artists, educators and health practitioners.

Fighting AIDS within South Africa presents many challenges, co-curator and Harvard doctoral student Marit Dewhurst observes. "Even though the post-apartheid government has mandated changes, many communities continue to experience high rates of poverty and racial discrimination," she says. "Perhaps more importantly, strongly maintained traditional practices and beliefs, especially related to gender roles, inhibit conventional approaches to AIDS education. Despite these challenges, many community organizations have turned to the arts for innovative AIDS education and outreach projects."

"Siyazama" showcases a sampling of the artistic work created by participants in the Siyazama Project -- fiber and wire baskets, dolls, necklaces and other beadwork -- and explores the application of traditional knowledge and skills to contemporary issues, materials and experiences. In addition, the exhibition includes work by other artists in South Africa who have received national awards for their traditional creations as well as work produced as part of craft-based economic development projects.

The exhibition is a collaborative project with Natal Technikon (formerly Durban Technikon) that grew out of the South African National Cultural Heritage Project, a bi-national project led, in part, by Michigan State University Museum and MATRIX: Center for Humane Arts, Letters, and Social Sciences Online. Special events are being coordinated in conjunction with on-campus and Lansing-area community organizations; for more details, see http://museum.msu.edu "exhibitions."

"Siyazama: Traditional Arts, Education, and AIDS in South Africa" is on exhibit in the MSU Museum's Heritage Gallery Feb. 5 - June 30, 2006. The Museum Store will featured selected hand-made goods from South Africa during the exhibit's run.

Funding has been provided by the Andrew J. Mellon Fund, National Endowment for the Arts, and, for partial support of a traveling portion of the exhibition, the Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs.