People of Color Arts Festival provides creative outlet

Second annual festival celebrates a side of art less-often received

The biggest student art exhibit of the weekend is not in Fisher Hall, it's in Third World House. The People of Color Arts Festival is making its second annual run, showcasing the work of 24 artists under one roof. The mediums used and themes explored run a wide range, but all the artists turn to the festival for a common reason.

That reason, explains organizer and contributing artist, junior Meredith Holmes, "is to give each other support...we don't get enough representation in the art department. There is this elitism that keeps people from speaking out and expressing themselves. It's very alienating."

The festival, then, is more than just a display for artwork. It is also an outlet for frustration, a forum for expressing ideas that will be heard and supported. People overuse the term "safe space" all the time at Oberlin, but this event seems to legitimately represent its ideal. "You see closet artists coming out of the woodwork that you would normally never see," said Holmes.

This year's festival had a smaller turnout than the previous year and the variety among the pieces was not as great. Even so, the diversity of the works was still one of the most striking features. Mediums included sculpture, painting, photography, drawing, collage and even loomwork. And the festival opened itself to creative writing as well, including poetry and children's books.

In her beautiful two part piece, "Family Tree," College senior Fereshteh Toosi explores themes of language, history and cultural learning. She contrasts a book on learning the English language with a book on the history of Persia, infusing both with messages of how they inform one's identity. A tension is created between what is book learned and instilled by American culture and undying connection to the home culture.

In one of the most innovative pieces of the show, college sophomore Aisha Cousins has taken a magazine, Today's Black Woman, and turned it into a collage of a personal scrapbook, a political outlet, a diary and a commentary. It touches on many dimensions of her experience as an African American; as woman, as artist, as Oberlin College student. It serves to remind that nature of minority experiences is always complex and individual despite the tendency to try and categorize them in simple terms.

College senior Andrew LaVallee provides two of the more provocative pieces of the show. In "Vase," he explores color connotation and the damaging self image it can have for Asians. The dictionary definitions for the colors yellow and white are printed over and over again over crumpled pieces of paper. Clumps of rice mingle with clear white beads. The piece overall has a beautiful quality to it. But at the same time, it evokes a deadened, disjointed feeling.

The festival is open to any person of color, and thus the level varies. Some of the artists are actual art majors, and others are just secret artists in their spare time. The important thing is that they are all committed to this idea and the necessity for a festival of this nature.

There is probably the preconception that an art exhibit that advertises itself as being "by people of color for people of color" must necessarily be laden with identity politics. While some of the pieces do express these themes, the show's top priority is to artistic talent and expression for people of color regardless of theme.

The show's intention is not to be exclusive or angry, but simply to provide a space that is otherwise nonexistent. As Holmes points out, "all art has political undertones whether you want it to or not. Art by white people does not get labeled as political because white is seen as normal. So making art about being white is just making art about being normal." This festival works towards making art by people of color more visible and thus diversify the notions of what standards art should be judged by.

The People of Color Arts Festival runs today through Sunday at Third World House. Admission is free and the exhibit runs all day.