Jesica Kimberlin
Staff Writer
The Pomona College Museum of Art encouraged creativity and community bonding among within about 60 people at its Family Art Program Saturday.
“I think that it’s really important to talk about contemporary arts and some of the things that are happening,” said Justine Bae, coordinator at Pomona College Museum of Art.
“Not just on a skill set level, but on a conceptual level with young children,” she added. “I find value in the things that we’re talking about in this exhibit, so I wanted to engage a wider audience.”
The current exhibition at the museum, “Prometheus 2017: Four Artists from Mexico Revisit Orozco,” is part of the “Pacific Standard Time: LA/LA Latin American and Latino Art in Los Angeles,” sponsored by The Getty and Bank of America.
Bae said that since there were four artists in that exhibition, four family art programs were created in conjunction.
She added that this program was inspired by artist Naomi Rincón-Gallardo’s latest film “The Formaldehyde Trip” in relation to the Prometheus exhibit.
“This year, because of the Getty exhibition, Rincón-Gallardo wanted to highlight Prometheus in the 21st century because there is still very limited perspective on that,” Victoria Hernandez, museum intern and senior art history major at Pitzer College, said.
She said that the unique, eerie interpretation reminded her of MTV from the 1980s.
Hernandez said that Rincón-Gallardo incorporated Axolotl, or the Mexican salamander, coinciding with the concept of Prometheus because the amphibian’s existence is endangered by Mexico City’s rapid expansion.
“It’s great for the museum because you get a lot of people who might not see this exhibit otherwise,” said Emilia Hagen, a senior neuroscience major at Scripps College and museum intern.
“We all just make art together, which is cool,” she added.“It’s great for the community because I think it brings together the college students and the people who live in or around Claremont.”
At the event, attendees participated in activities called “Create your Avatar” and “Adorn your Axolotl.”
Josh Gearou and Sam Gearou, both junior computer science majors at Pomona College, helped the museum with the event preparation.
Sam Gearou said that the event was creative, exciting and adventurous.
“Not all kids are comfortable going to events like this, so I think being able to get out of their comfort zones and create art with other people is important,” he said.
He added that it is important especially for kids, to understand art that may be considered unusual because it allows them to relate to a specific culture.
Sam Gearou also said that parents have a role in helping kids understand culture.
Josh Gearou said that in kindergarten, students only learn common core, or math and English standards, and not about different types of cultures.
“If the kids come into the museum, then their parents can guide them that this is what this culture is like,” he said.
Gallegos said that to raise the comfort level in the art world, parents and children should work on art together as a family bonding activity.
“Some people are uncomfortable with art or understanding what art really is,” he said. “By going through the experience it gives them a level of comfort.”
Jesica Kimberlin can be reached at aljazi.birashed@laverne.edu.
