Lehigh Valley

Campus to mark anniversary of 9-11 with special exhibit, activities

Center Valley, Pa. --The Gallery at Penn State Lehigh Valley will host the exhibition "Reaction and Healing: The Tenth Anniversary of 9-11" from Sept. 6 to Oct. 25. An opening reception will be held from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. on Sept. 8. The exhibition, part of a multi-venue collaboration, and reception are free and open to the public.

In preparing to commemorate the events of Sept. 11, a call-to-artists from Marilyn J. Fox, director of Penn State Berks' Freyberger Gallery, brought over 80 submissions with 40 artists selected and over 80 works of art. The overwhelming response from artists prompted Fox to invite other venues to partner with the Berks campus, thus creating this historic multi-venue exhibition. Partnering with the Freyberger Gallery is Penn State Lehigh Valley, along with The Yocum Institute for Arts Education in Wyomissing, and the Jewish Cultural Center of Reading. Each location will feature works based around themes that emerged from the body of submissions.

The Lehigh Valley campus exhibition includes seven nationally and internationally recognized visual artists exhibiting 30 works. Participating artists include Denise Bankuti (Burbank, Calif.), Patricia Dahlman (Lyndhurst, N.J.), Beth Krensky (Salt Lake City, Utah), Kathy Levine (Brooklyn, N.Y.), Marjorie Morrow (New York, N.Y.), Katie Samuelson (Cheshire, Conn.), and David Wander (New York, N.Y.).

In addition to the gallery exhibition, interdisciplinary collaborations will enhance the impact of the art for the campus and community. Extracurricular activities will occur with faculty in various academic disciplines throughout the duration of the exhibition. Highlights are listed below.

Sept. 8
How Does It Feel To Be a Problem?: Being Young and Arab in America, 10 years after 9/11
Moustafa Bayoumi, author of the 2008 American Book Award winner "How Does It Feel to be a Problem: Being Young and Arab in America," will speak at 12:15 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 8. Bayoumi’s writings have appeared in many publications including The New York Times Magazine, The Guardian, The Nation, and CNN.com, and he has been featured by NPR, The Wall Street Journal, and other media outlets. Bayoumi is currently professor of English at Brooklyn College, City University of New York.

Recycled Paper Casting Workshop with featured artist Kathy Levine
Levine's own recycled paper sculpture responds to personal experiences in her Brooklyn neighborhood directly after the 9-11 attacks. A workshop will be held from 2 to 4 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 8. The fee is $15 and enrollment is limited. For more information or to register, go to www.psu.edu/artsproject or call 610-285-5058.

Sept. 9
9-11 Memorial Service
Music and verse will enhance this gathering to remember and reflect from 1-2 p.m. on Sept. 9.

Sept.16
SAGE Lecture Series
Members of the Lehigh Valley Muslim community will share their experience as a Muslim living in America post 9-11. This program will be held at 11 a.m. Friday, Sept. 16. The SAGE lecture series is open to participants age 55 and older. Registration is required. For more information or to register, contact Diane McAloon at 610-285-5066.

Additional displays of art, writings, and audio responses and interviews will be located throughout the campus.

 

'Respirators,' a mixed media piece by Denise Bankuti, is one of the works included in the 9-11 memorial exhibition. Credit: Image courtesy of Denise BankutiAll Rights Reserved.

Last Updated July 26, 2011

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