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the highland park landmark | March 22, 2018 | 19
Social snapshot
Top stories:
From hplandmark.com as of Monday,
March 19
1. Around 800 Highland Park students
demonstrate against gun violence
2. Ravinia announces 2018 lineup
3. Police Reports: Residential burglary
reported in Highland Park
4. Baseball: New coach hopes to repeat
conference success, more
5. City Council votes down Green Bay Road
speed limit reduction
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On Friday, March 16, The City of Highland
Park posted this photo with the caption,
“Fun Fact Friday: New Highland Park residents
can visit City Hall to pick up a “New
Resident Packet” at the City Manager’s Office.
The packets include helpful information
and offers from the City, Park District
of Highland Park and the Highland Park
Public Library. If you are a new resident,
come by City Hall at 1707 St. Johns Avenue
to pick up your bag today! Please call
the City Manager’s Office at 847.926.1000
with questions. #FFF”
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On Friday, March 16, The Highland Park
Public Library tweeted this photo with
the caption, “A leprechaun stopped by
Youth Services today in preparation for St.
Patrick’s Day.”
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From the Editor
Take the time to appreciate local art
Xavier Ward
xavier@hplandmark.com
This is somewhat
of a callback to a
previous editorial,
calling on readers to support
the local arts.
However, in this case,
there’s a specific exhibit I
have in mind.
The Landmark is not in
the business of promotion,
but we had the
chance to tour The Art
Center Highland Park’s
newest exhibit, “Journey
to America: How Stories
of Immigration Shape our
Heritage and Culture,”
and it left us with much
to think about.
Modern art is often
written off as pointless,
devoid of talent and
overly pretentious. This
mode of thinking is narrow
and robs one of the
opportunity to experience
phenomenal art.
The Landmark spoke
with the curator of the
exhibit, Caren Helene
Rudman, who discussed
what The Art Center was
looking for in pieces
submitted.
“We decided to do this
exhibit on contemporary
Native American art and
then we thought, let’s
do it on immigration
also,” Rudman told The
Landmark at the exhibit’s
opening.
Rudman discussed
pieces by both Native
Americans and immigrants,
and how those
pieces are important to
not only the artists, but
those communities of
people.
“While many exhibits
of this nature perpetuate
stereotypes of Native
American and immigrant
livelihoods, ‘Journey to
America’ seeks to provide
a space where the art can
exist on its own in a modern
setting,” The Landmark
reported March 22.
“It’s really immigration
that leads to migration.
And migration that
leads to assimilation or
alienation. And so this
exhibit is held side by
side,” Rudman said. “And
what I found in most of
the work is the stories are
similar,” Rudman told
The Landmark.
“So, from the suitcases
that we filled with the
things that we brought
here when we came or the
things we took with us as
we move—they are the
objects that tell the story
of who we are as a culture,”
she said. “A furry
moccasin and a beaded
stapler, it’s all a part of
this diverse American
story.”
Often, art depicting
marginalized groups
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is exploitative. Take
Paul Gauguin’s work
from French Polynesia.
Specifically, art depicting
Native Americans
often shows the “noble
savage,” a trope coined
in the 19th century that
romanticizes a primitive
lifestyle, all the while
failing to acknowledge
the dark history between
all Native American
tribes and the United
States’ government.
That shouldn’t give
readers the idea that this
is an entirely politically
motivated collection of
art. At the end of the
day, it’s a collection of
art made by a group of
talented individuals.
However, it is paramount
to recognize the
importance of allowing
these artists a space to
exercise their voices in a
modern manner.
Classical art has value,
there’s no doubt about it.
However, only allowing
this kind of art — art
created by marginalized
groups — to remain in
classical collections is a
mistake.
Without movements
such as post-modernism,
we’d all still be looking a
bowls of fruit, landscapes
and portraits.
So, if you’re averse
to modern art, consider
opening up to it.
If you do, “Journey to
America,” is a good place
to start.
An intriguing number from this week’s edition
The speed limit on Green
Bay Road, HP City Council
voted down lowering the
limit to 30. Read about it
on Page 3
The Highland Park Landmark
Sound Off Policy
Editorials and columns are the opinions of the author. Pieces from
22nd Century Media are the thoughts of the company as a whole. The
Highland Park Landmark encourages readers to write letters to Sound
Off. All letters must be signed, and names and hometowns will be
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Park Landmark, 60 Revere Drive St. 888, Northbrook, IL, 60062. Fax
letters to (847) 272-4648 or email to xavier@hplandmark.com.
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