Exhibition Explores Inclusive
Recounting of the Past and Present
ArtsWestchester’s first gallery exhibition of 2022 asks challenging questions about truth and history.
Now open, the art in Who Writes History? considers how images and language (together and independently) shape our collective memory and mainstream narratives. Through their works, 21 participating artists attempt to manifest a more inclusive recounting of the past and present.
“Our exhibition asks questions that are roiling our society today: What is the ‘Truth?’ Is there one truth? Or are there many? Who ‘owns’ history? Does it belong to the writers and those written about? Or do we all have a share as a collective?” said ArtsWestchester CEO Janet Langsam.
Who Writes History? consists of events at ArtsWestchester’s gallery, online and in venues around Westchester County.
Live events include multi-media performance event blending visual art with poetry, music, and dance by Marcy B. Freedman on May 7 and Los Herederos’ June 11 installation of their sonicycle, an itinerant sound device, documentary tool, and community organizing-activation platform.
Lectures include a session on public art’s role in civil discourse with artist Jean-Marc Superville Sovak and White Plains Mayor Thomas Roach, who will discuss the significance behind the display of a statue of Harriet Tubman in downtown White Plains.
A full roster of Who Writes History? events is posted on ArtsWestchester’s website.
Who Writes History? runs through July 3 at ArtsWestchester’s gallery, 31 Mamaroneck Ave. General admission costs $5 and members are free.
ArtsWestchester requires proof of vaccination for entry to the gallery and related events and attendees must wear face coverings for all in-person programming.
For more than 55 years, ArtsWestchester has been the community’s connection to the arts. Founded in 1965, it is the largest, private, not-for-profit arts council in New York State. Its mission is to provide leadership, vision, and support, to ensure the availability, accessibility, and diversity of the arts. ArtsWestchester provides programs and services that enrich the lives of everyone in Westchester County. ArtsWestchester helps fund concerts, exhibitions and plays through grants; brings artists into schools and community centers; advocates for the arts; and builds audiences through diverse marketing initiatives. In 1998, ArtsWestchester purchased the nine-story neo-classical bank building at 31 Mamaroneck Avenue which has since been transformed into a multi-use resource for artists, cultural organizations, and the community. A two-story gallery is located on the first floor of ArtsWestchester’s historic building in downtown White Plains.
For more information about ArtsWestchester’s programs and services, visit artsw.org