Concerning Heritage

Following the theme underlying Art on the Hyphen: Cuban-American Artists of Western New York, in which artists expressed their experiences relating both to their ethnic heritage and their current concerns living in the United States, this exhibition of work from the collection featured work by artists of various ethnic backgrounds. Native Americans, African Americans, Eastern European immigrants, and Latino artists from several different countries were among those represented. Artists included George Campos, Craig Centrié, Wilhelmina Godfrey, Ana Maria Hidalgo, Norman Jimerson, Arnold Mesches, Richard Nephew, Roberto Pacheco, Endi Poskovic, Walter A. Prochownik, Alberto Rey, Jolene Rickard, Jeanette Shropshire, and Jeffrey M. Thomas. Many of these artists depict how they are torn between two cultures, especially if they had to leave their country of origin to escape political or social oppression. Each presents personal perspective that either criticizes tyranny or argues for the preservation of cultural identity while respecting the cultural diversity that American society struggles to achieve.