The colorful dancers and newly naturalized citizens get much of the attention at the annual Reston Multicultural Festival. Tucked inside Lake Anne’s Reston Community Center, though, is one of the quieter gems of the festival – an exhibit called “Art Mirrors Culture.” This exhibit features local artists’ response to the question, “How does art mirror culture in your work?” Each artist’s commentary is presented along with his or her work. The resulting creations give glimpses into the diverse experiences within our community.
Here is a small selection of the artwork from “Art Mirrors Culture.” During the Multicultural Festival this Saturday, September 27th, be sure stop inside the RCC to see the full exhibit.
“Water Pot Beauty” and “Grace and Beauty” by Sasini Wickramatunga (oil)
“Sri Lankan women who live in rural areas walk 1.5 miles to a stream to get water. They work so hard on the plantation so they are very skinny. Since the temperature is high, they are very dark.”
“Most women in the countryside do not do big jobs. They make money out of things like selling lotus flowers. They spend a lot of time picking them. I decided to show grace and beauty of a simple Sri Lankan woman.”
-Sasini Wickramatunga
“Madonna and Child” by Gregory Pirio (oil)
“I travel through much of the world on assignment witnessing the range of human drama. Madonna and Child represents the desperation of the poor begging for livelihood.”
-Gregory Pirio
“This End Up (Alaska)” by Regina Petrecca (oil)
“America’s beauty and physical diversity mirrors its cultural diversity from Alaska to Arizona.”
– Regina Petrecca
“Water Reflection” and “Forest Fall” by Leen Faroun (acrylic)
“Peddlers” by Alfonso Ong (watercolor)
“During my European and Asian travels over the years, I learned that each ethnic group has its own unique characteristics and customs and are all special in my art impressions.”
-Alfonso Ong
“Metro” by Ann Richards (textile)
“I grew up in the Midwest and passed cornfields every day on my way to school. Watching the rows rip by rhythmically – the visual equivalent of dragging a stick along a picket fence – made an indelible impression. Flying in and out of the Midwest gave me a birds-eye view of the fields, like patchwork quilts in natural colors. From the tulip leaf representative of Pella, Iowa to the cauliflower found in my grandmother’s garden, this is a very personal statement about growing up in the heartland of the U.S.”
-Ann Richards
“Two-Way Traffic” and “Cuddle Companions” by Tracie Griffth Tso (rice paper brushpainting)
“This painting was created using traditional Chinese brushpainting techniques using tools like bamboo-handled, natural-hair brushes and ink.”
-Tracie Griffith Tso
The two-dimensional artwork in “Art Mirrors Culture” will be on display throughout September in the Jo Ann Rose Gallery at the Reston Community Center at Lake Anne. The exhibit’s three-dimensional artwork, including sculpture and mosaics, will be on display at RCC Lake Anne until November 21st.
What else do you think people should look for at this weekend’s Multicultural Festival? What other hidden gems do you recommend?