Eastern art gallery opens 'Chinatown Chronicles" exhibit
Willimantic, CT (02/02/2023) — Eastern Connecticut State University's Art Gallery is debuting its first exhibit of the semester, "Chinatown Chronicles," in collaboration with Eastern's 2023 NEA Big Read book selection, Charles Yu's "Interior Chinatown." The exhibit will run Jan. 18-March 9 in the Art Gallery located in the Fine Arts Instructional Center.
There will be a reception to celebrate the exhibit on March 3, from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Taking inspiration from Yu's novel, Chinatown Chronicles "explores poignant themes of interior Chinatown through the work of 20 artists who offer unexpected connections and parallels for Yu's incisive portrait of a vibrant community that has thrived in the face of unrelenting stereotyping," explained Yulia Wintner, director of Eastern's Art Gallery.
Pulling from a variety of art forms, the work within the gallery reveals the tensions between feelings of belonging and estrangement through sculptures, paintings and documentary films.
"We are grateful to the artists for prompting dialogs in the gallery that create moments of education, revelation and transformation," said Wintner. "A big cheer for Arts Midwest in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts for providing us with resources and support for weaving together literature and the visual arts."
Those interested in visiting the Art Gallery and learning more about "Interior Chinatown" can visit Big Read - Eastern (easternct.edu)
###
Eastern Connecticut State University is the state of Connecticut's public liberal arts university, serving more than 4,300 students annually on its Willimantic campus. In addition to attracting students from 160 of Connecticut's 169 towns, Eastern also draws students from 31 states and eight countries. A residential campus offering 41 majors and 65 minors, Eastern offers students a strong liberal art foundation grounded in a variety of applied learning opportunities. Ranked among the top 20 public institutions in the North by U.S. News & World Report in its 2022 Best Colleges ratings, Eastern has also been awarded 'Green Campus' status by the Princeton Review 13 years in a row. For more information, visit www.easternct.edu.
Media Attachments
Annika Cheng, “Yum Cha,” yarn, found fabrics, dinnerware, 2022, image courtesy the artist.
Xu Zhen, Eternity-Six Dynasties period painted earthenware dragon, “Sleeping Muse,” 2017, mineral-based composite, mineral pigments, stainless steel, resin, wood, 31 3/8 x 9 x 20 3/8 in. Courtesy of James Cohan Gallery, NYC.
Linda Sormin, 2022, 6.75 x 8 x 7 in. Hand built, slip cast and glazed ceramic, found figurines, imitation gold leaf.