The Clackamas print., January 24, 2007, Page 5, Image 5

[Clackamas Print
Megan Koler
Clackamas can now glance into a world where the artists and teachers
have more political impact than the politicians and lobbyists.
The Alexander Gallery in thii Niemeyer Center opened the “Arte
Guenda” exhibit to the public Thurs., Jan-. 18. In Spanish, “guenda”
■¡lie Clackamas Print
3ns “the soul of all things.”
The exhibit showcases 10 women with varying degrees of connection to the city-state of Oaxaca, Mex.,
¡¡eluding Clackamas’ very own ceramics instructor, Katy McFadden.
The theme of the show is “personal geographies,” which McFadden describes as “looking inward at the
lace from which we draw our inspiration,” much like picturing oneself as a landscape.
Within that common theme, the artists present their personal interpretation in several different mediums,
eluding sculpture, photography, collage, embroidery and paint. They all still manage-to revolve around
•xxaca.
. . • ■ .
■‘Oaxaca is predominantly indigenous and has a long-standing history of art and culture,” said McFadden.
■'
T
“I think that could be a, source
of the creative inquiry in that
area?*
: t
?
The art scene in Oaxaca
received an international nod in
2005 when Francisco Toledo, a
Oaxacan artist, won the Right
Livelihood Award (also kpown
as the alternative Nobel prize),
for what McFadden calls “his
role and commitment to his
society and culture through his
art.”
-yy,
...
“The role of the artist in the
iy.for sure, is quite different than it is here in the states,” she said. “Art not only plays an aesthetic quality,
; reaches the whole fabric of this society.”
McFadden and the entire Arte Guenda group were hoping to have a gallery showing in Oaxaca, though
jr to political unrest, they’ve had to put things on hold.
•‘The whole city has been closed down and is really under military occupation,” said McFadden. “It
janges the orientation and the freedom to work.”
This past May, thousands of Oaxacan public school teachers protesting low wages and quality of life issues
me met by 3,000 policemen. It resulted in 11 deaths, including two children asphyxiated by tear gas.
it was the teachers, and the intellectuals and the artists that have organized and put demands forth to the
jvemment.” said McFadden.
Ivonne Kennedy, one of the exhibitors, summed up Oaxaca’s plight in her body of work.
I ve seen a major shift in her work in the past year,” said McFadden. “She looks at interior spaces, and
this hew body of work that she sent up for this show, that theme still applies, but within that architecture,
lie is resonating current events that are taking place.”
it would be very interesting to look at the events down there as a model for change — commitment to
¡«violence,” she said.
.
Those whowish. to view the exhibit have the entirety of Winter Term to do so.
Tve gone into the gallery when people were there, and I’ve gone in alone and looked at the work indi-
Jually,” said McFadden. “The overall feeling that I have is one of quiet and looking inward ... and that it
II take many times to go back and look again at it.
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Ili
LEFT: McFadden
stands with her
sculpture and
paintings.
1»
FAR LEFT: Painting
by Martha Toledo.
BELOW LEFT:
Justin Church
looks over several
paintings by San­
dra Garfias.
ISSp
IM k
BELOW RIGHT:
The paintings of
Ivonne Kennedy.
1
»
«
■
■
A
BOTTOM: Photo/
painting by Mar­
cela Taboada.