1/24: Photography Exhibit "Exploring Urban Identities in De-industrialized Cities"
A public reception will be held for the exhibit "Exploring Urban Identities in De-industrialized Cities" on January 24th from 5-7pm. The evening will feature two brief talks, the first by co-curator Professor Thomas Stubblefield titled, "Origins of Photography: The Middle Class and the Urban Imaginary" and the second by UMass Dartmouth College of Visual and Performing Arts gallery director Viera Levitt titled "Appreciating the Industrial Landscape."
"Exploring Urban Identities in De-industrialized Cities" showcases the past, present and future of de-industrial cities in Massachusetts through the lens of regional photographers. New Bedford, Fall River and Lowell are exemplars of what the independent think tank MassINC has termed a "Gateway Cities." Offering inexpensive commercial real estate, an eager workforce and an existing infrastructure, these "gateway cities" maintain a unique potential for growth. As researchers such as Richard Florida, author of The Rise of the Creative Class (2002), have pointed out, a primary conduit for realizing this potential is the creative class.
The exhibit includes photographic works from the following artists; Anthony Lee, Brandon Dunning, Denn Santoro, Diane Kaiser, Edie Bresler, Liz Friar, Henry Amistadi, John Robson, John Wojtowicz, Kay Howell, Michael Smith, Panteah Karimi, Paul Baron, Robert Thurlow, Romina Katchidb and Viera Levitt. The New Bedford Art Museum is located at 608 Pleasant Street, New Bedford. Winter hours are Wednesday - Sunday, noon-5pm. For direction and more information go to www.newbedfordartmuseum.org
This exhibition is in conjunction with a 2012-2013 lecture series that brings together local historians, prominent national and international scholars to chronicle the cultural and economic history of New Bedford and other gateways cities in the Commonwealth. The lecture series and exhibition are made possible through the 2012 University of Massachusetts President's Creative Economy Initiatives Fund, granted to UMass Dartmouth College of Visual and Performing Arts faculty members Thomas Stubblefield and Pamela Karimi. The project aims to engage the local population of artists, architects and students in a direct dialogue with the broader community on ways to improve their urban environments, what is often now referred to as "creative placemaking." For more information on the lecture series go to http://www.umassd.edu/cvpa/undergraduate/arthistory/lectures/