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September Issue 2005
Vista Studios in Columbia, SC, Offers Exhibit by Open Eyes Group
Open Eyes announces its first invitational exhibition, Art for Awareness: for Mukhtaran Bibi, to be held Sept. 10-20, 2005, at Gallery 80808 / Vista Studios in Columbia, SC.
Open Eyes is a new organization resolved to support women's triumphs over staggering odds. We stand as a unified visual presence and an affirmative voice for women's singular acts of bravery in today's world. Members of the organizing group include Laura Spong, Pat Callahan, Susan Craig, Mary Bentz Gilkerson, Heidi Darr-Hope, Judy Hubbard, Jane Key, and Ellen Emerson Yaghjian.
The focus for this exhibition is inspired by an editorial by Nicholas D. Kristoff in the New York Times and reprinted in The State newspaper. Kristoff tells the story of Mukhtaran, a Pakistani woman who stood up against an ancient form of injustice:
"In June 2002, the police say, members of a high-status tribe sexually abused one of Mukhtaran's brothers and then covered up their crime by falsely accusing him of having an affair with a high-status woman. The village's tribal council determined that the suitable punishment for the supposed affair was for high-status men to rape one of the boy's sisters, so the council sentenced Mukhtaran to be gang-raped."
"As members of the high-status tribe danced in joy, four men stripped her naked and took turns raping her. Then they forced her to walk home naked in front of 300 villagers."
"In Pakistan's conservative Muslim society, Mukhtaran's duty was now clear: She was supposed to commit suicide. . . But instead of killing herself, Mukhtaran testified against her attackers and propounded the shocking idea that the shame lies in raping, rather than being raped."
Mukhtaran, who had never gone to school, used
the $8,300 government settlement to found two schools - one for
girls and one for boys. She herself attends and is now in the
fourth grade. Her triumph and courage are the heart of this exhibition.
Although some
individual works will be for sale, the main purpose of this exhibition
is to increase viewer awareness of the type of individual acts
of bravery exemplified by people like Mukhtaran. Artists included
in the exhibit are Sharon Licata, Kathy Brown, Judy Hubbard, Heidi
Darr-Hope, Pat Callahan, Laura Spong, Mary Bentz Gilkerson, Renee
Rouiller, Eileen Blyth, Carol Barks, Ellen Emerson Yaghjian, Candy
Waites, David Yaghjian, Jeff Donovan, Pat Gilmartin, Eleanor Craig,
Caroline Pulliam, Gina Langston, Susan Lenz, Leslie Pierce, Deborah
Lengel, Alejandro Garcia, Rachel Gibson, Mana Hewitt, and Tyrone
Geter.
Invited artists were asked to create one or
two artworks inspired by Mukhtaran specifically for this show.
The works range from individual responses to collaborations, traditional
paintings and sculptures to
installations. The artists have been encouraged to donate 40%
of their sales to support the efforts of Mukhtaran.
Gallery hours during this exhibit will be: Mon.-Fri., 11am-3pm and Sat. & Sun., 2-4pm.
For further information check our SC Institutional
Gallery listings, call the gallery at 803/252-6134 or at (www.VistaStudios-Gallery80808.com).
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