Ethnic Student Center to host gallery exhibit on identity
By Chris Beswetherick
On March 1, the Ethnic Student Center (ESC) will open “Perceptions of Self ,“ an exhibit featuring self-reflective student artwork submitted by students sharing their experiences with self-identification. The opening takes place in Lobby E, on the fourth floor of the Viking Union from 2 – 4 p.m.
Each piece shows how students identify themselves through a lens of looking at a mirror and how people perceive their own race, culture, body and other traits. In addition, work can also show how society makes someone feel, and its effect on self-reflection.
“When I first started thinking…I thought [the idea] was pretty exclusive, because a lot of voices would not be shared because not everyone could identify,” Alan Alatorre-Barajas, ESC Cultural Education Coordinator, said. “[Then], I started thinking about looking in the mirror and messages.”
Mirrors let people look at and judge themselves, which can then send them positive or negative messages. Mirrors can also cause inner turmoil, and the artwork at the gallery will be based on the range of emotions that these experiences elicit.
“I want people to see other people’s experience, so they can see and understand what others have gone through,” Alatorre-Barajas said, “for example, bullying, microaggressions, stereotypes, gender roles. How do they create perceptions in the mirror?”
In creating artwork, Alatorre-Barajas, a poet, reflects internally and tries to put words to that internal meaning.
“It could be negative, it could be positive,” he said. “I hope it creates conversation to normalize certain things, and in the state of the country and the world, we should start within ourselves before we do any action, because once we know who we are, we can reach out to others. It would help create harmony.”
The ESC invites any student to submit artwork. Those submissions are based on personal experiences with self-identification. Many artistic mediums are featured in visual and written art forms. This range of mediums creates more freedom for students to show their work, which will ultimately result in more submissions.
A high volume of work benefits this gallery. Alan Alatorre-Barajas, the ESC Cultural Education Coordinator, hopes the exhibit shows there are collective human experiences.
Submissions are due on February 15, so if you want to participate, contact Alatorre-Barajas in the ESC at as.esc.education@wwu.edu or 360-650-7271. Late submissions will be considered.