Arlington, TX – Opening next week, Creative Courage features four complementary collections which share a common thread: Cloth as Community: Hmong Textiles in America; DAYDREAM by Yeager Edwards; Art in Exile: Works from Syrian Refugee Camps; and Empowering Young Voices: Self-Exploration Through Fashion and Art from Junior Players Dallas. Creative Courage was curated by the Arlington Museum of Art.
Cloth as Community will feature traditional Hmong textiles which were made in refugee camps by Hmong refugees forced to flee their homes during the Vietnam war. The works illustrate the profound relevance of textiles as infrastructure in the Hmong culture, an art form that shifted as it adapted to fit new realities. Art in Exile will showcase paintings created by Syrian refugees. Several of the pieces are painted directly onto the canvas used for UNICEF tents found in refugee camps. Daydream by Yeager Edwards features contemporary textiles which utilize fabrics from the artist’s childhood home. Many of the works were made during the first COVID lockdown and reflect the desire to return to normalcy while simultaneously craving the comfort of home. Empowering Young Voices: Self-Exploration Through Fashion and Art from Junior Players Dallas features costumes created by children for the Discover Runway Dreams fashion show. The children are given themes such as racial inequality and social justice barriers as inspiration for their creations.
“We are proud to bring so many diverse exhibitions to our community and hope that these works will inspire communication and understanding,” says President and CEO Chris Hightower. “We chose the title Creative Courage for the four collections to pay homage to the common thread between all of them: the importance of community and the incredible power of art.”
Creative Courage will run from September 18 – November 14, 2021.
About the Arlington Museum of Art
The Arlington Museum of Art is dedicated to championing creativity and to providing access to art for the cultural enrichment and economic development of our community. Located at 201 West Main Street, Arlington, Texas 76010, hours of operation and other visitor information can be found at arlingtonmuseum.org
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