Gallery4Culture
2008-2009 Season

Dawn Cerny and Patrick Holderfield along with: Doug Keyes, Lisa Liedgren, Carlos Ruiz, Clara Sims, Daniel Smith and Brent Watanabe
100 years; for better or worse
June 4 - 26, 2009

reception June 4, 2009, 6 – 8 p.m.

In recognition the Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition (A-Y-P) Centennial, Gallery4Culture is pleased to present, 100 years; for better or worse, a collection of contemporary visual art responses to the legacy of our region's first world fair. In 100 years; for better or worse, lead artists Dawn Cerny and Patrick Holderfield present a cohesive exhibit examining cultural shifts in attitudes toward indigenous peoples since 1909. Many of the artworks are a reaction to the A-Y-P's premier attraction, the "Igorrote Village", where approximately fifty Filipinos (men, women and children) were relocated from a remote village of the Philippine Islands to be on display at the fair from June through mid-October 1909. A sensationalized environment was constructed where they were able to be seen at work and at play, depicting a skewed and stereotyped view of Filipino life and culture. Such exploitive exhibits of indigenous peoples were common at world exhibitions in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.

In 100 years; for better or worse at Gallery4Culture, Dawn Cerny has responded to this history by creating a series of mixed media A-Y-P souvenir flags that incorporate politically-charged text. Cerny describes her work as, "love letters and ghosts for the loner mountain men of the Pacific Northwest, and to the entrepreneurs who have tried to drag us into civilization."

For his part, Patrick Holderfield conducted research on the A-Y-P and a multitude of similar World's Fairs around the country at this time. His research included Filipino culture, the Spanish-American war, the Iraq war, Disney, and propaganda poster art. Holderfield launched a website on these accumulated findings and hand-picked six local artists/graphic designers to participate in a collaborative project for the exhibition. He directed them to his website and invited each to design a protest-type poster for the show. The works have been compiled into a limited-edition portfolio that presents a remarkable array of strong visual and political messages. Participating in the poster project are: Doug Keyes, Lisa Liedgren, Carlos Ruiz, Clara Sims, Daniel Smith and Brent Watanabe.

Gallery4Culture is located within 4Culture offices at 101 Prefontaine PL S, Seattle WA 98104 at the corner of Third and Prefontaine, in the Tashiro/Kaplan Building. Gallery hours are Monday through Friday, 9:00 am – 5:00 pm, closed government holidays; the gallery is open and free to the public. For more information about this program call 206 296.8674.