For Kids
Spokane Arts Announces New Exhibit Persistence of Vision: Asian Diaspora Perspectives in Continuum at the Chase Gallery, opening Friday April 7, 2023
Spokane Arts invites you to our newest exhibition featuring artworks from Margaret Albaugh and Frances Grace Mortel, exploring the persistence of Asian diasporic narratives.
After examining the unseen complexities of cultural identity in a previous exhibition, artists Margaret Albaugh and Frances Grace Mortel have reunited to delve into the persistence of Asian diasporic narratives, aiming to highlight and amplify the enduring existence of these experiences. Drawing inspiration from the phenomenon of persistence of vision, which allows our eyes to briefly see an image even after it has disappeared from view, the artists have created a visual anthology of Asian and Asian American stories. Through diasporic portraits, memories, and recipes, they have blended multiple still images in succession, creating alluring images for their audience to explore.
The exhibition presents a captivating collection of visions that will keep audiences engaged and enlightened. Through this exhibition, the artists hope to showcase the richness of Asian and Asian American cultures, and the persistence of diasporic narratives, while inspiring others to explore and celebrate these cultural identities.
Frances Grace Mortel is a Filipino photographer, filmmaker, and community organizer. The challenges of being a mother, immigrant, and queer artist of color fuel her commitment to tell and center stories that examine intersectional truths, navigate intergenerational and diasporic identities, and inspire social justice. Her work-in-progress project Diaspora Home is a multimedia installation taking a closer look at the intersections of home, migration, matrilineal labor, and identity.
Margaret Albaugh is a Chinese-American mother, photographer, creative, and school counselor. Her projects examine cultural identity, gender, motherhood, and exploring the nuance and the messiness of human nature. Her current project examines the way experiences with racism shaped their social and emotional development and how it impacted their identity development.
Spokane Arts’ program director Shantell Jackson explains, “This exhibition is a beautiful display of photography and film that celebrates and shares stories of the Asian Diaspora and lived experience of each artist. My hope is that attendees reflect on themes, engage with the artists and their work, and engage with and contribute to conversations about cultural identity and the importance of representation in the art world.”
The Chase Gallery is open to the public whenever City Hall is open, Monday – Friday 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. This exhibit’s opening reception will take place First Friday April 7, 2023 5:00-8:00 p.m. and close on May 26, 2023.
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Spokane Arts is an independent non-profit arts organization that partners with public and private entities to promote arts and culture in Spokane. Spokane Arts does so through grantmaking, arts advocacy, professional development opportunities for artists, and through our diverse programming across arts disciplines, which includes management of the public murals collection and other public artwork.
