|
The purpose of this project is
to document the creative achievements of under-represented
non-European artists in order to recognize and examine how
they are shaping culture and communities in New Jersey. The
aim is to inspire both project organizers and audiences to
pose essential questions about the history, cultural impact,
and artistic production of the state’s ethnic and racial
multiple communities. Moreover, this project will motivate
further study, through exhibitions, programs and documentation
of their contributions, to enrich curriculum in Higher Education
and public schools, and increase awareness of their talents.
The foundation of the program
is being developed through a collaborative process that includes
a planning colloquium and annual planning sessions with curators,
scholars, consultants, faculty, university and museum staff
to explore and document the creative achievements in the visual
arts of Asian, Latino, African American, and Native American
artists.
THE STATE’S NEW DEMOGRAPHICS
The surge of the State’s
new immigrants combined with the older African Americans and
multiethnic populations makes New Jersey one of the nation’s
most diverse States and confirms its longstanding status as
a gateway for new Americans. The statistics surrounding multicultural
communities in New Jersey are astounding. Over the last five
years, the Asian community has increased by 71%; the Latino
community by 39%; and the African American community by 15%,
resulting in the addition of over 2.5 million people to New
Jersey’s population. Sadly, however, the cultural heritages
of these populations are most often unfamiliar to the broader
New Jersey audience. The Transcultural New Jersey initiative
will address these shifting demographics by utilizing the
arts as a catalyst for stronger inter-group relations.
PROJECT OBJECTIVES
To truly understand how culture
in New Jersey has been shaped, and to become more actively
engaged in its progress, the Transcultural New Jersey Initiative
has identified four key objectives:
-
Develop exhibitions to take
place Statewide in 2004 focusing on the achievements of
African Americans, Latinas/os, Asians and Native Americans
-
Interpret and map New Jersey’s
shifting demographics and provide a history of the multifaceted
cultural impact of diversity
-
Research and document the
new artistic narratives that are redefining the American
cultural mainstream
-
Foster curriculum development
on all levels that includes the history of the state’s
multicultural communities
|
