To the Editor:
Mara Nelson's article on the People of Color Arts Festival in April 4 Review, while on target about some things, greatly misunderstood the purpose of the festival. The organizers of the festival, in alphabetical order, were Meredith Holmes, Sujin Ock, and Nyasha Warren. When the idea of the festival was being conceived, the organizers wanted to provide a space where people of color had the opportunity to dialog with each other. The People of Color Arts Festival acheived this on two levels. 1. to accept every submission, 2. to provide support and to give each artist complete control of his or her display.
Mara Nelson's review of the Festival was researched and understood only to the point of convenience for her article -- snippets of information injected for spice in one area, snippets of information left out in another area. For example, while she felt it was valid to describe Prentiss Slaughter's installation In the Process as brilliant, she rode Jeffrey Cabusao's piece Balikbayan Dreams, Balikbayan Realities ... Remembering my Lola as being "just a political statement" and "not contributing anything new artistically."
It is easy to remain in the comfort zone by labeling one piece of work done by a respected visual artist in the Oberlin community as 'art;' it is even easier to remain safe by calling another piece of art plain politicized preachiness just because the work falls outsdie of Nelson's personal value system of what constitutes art. And what of her apathy in mentioning the many different kinds of approaches to art that were present and supported by those who participated in the festival? Nelson is right in the fact that the festival is in no way a testimonial to art majors; she is wrong in assuming that the festival was intending to do so. Stated again, the festival was an opportunity for people of color who have art work to share it. Nelson's comment "there's a reason why all the people in the show don't normally display their work" was a cheap shot that undermines the festival's success in creating a collective for artists for color.
Copyright © 1997, The Oberlin Review.
Volume 125, Number 21, April 18, 1997
Contact Review webmaster with suggestions or comments at ocreview@www.oberlin.edu.
Contact Review editorial staff at oreview@oberlin.edu.