Mapping out the Catherine G. Murphy Art Gallery, piece by piece
The Catherine G. Murphy gallery opened its latest exhibit, Cartographies of Desire, featuring work curated by Katayoun Amjadi and John Schuerman, on Feb. 8th. This exhibit features 12 artists from 10 different geo-political locations.
The exhibit is located in the east and west wings on the first floor, and the smaller gallery on the second floor. It includes a handful of interactive exhibits, including a small airline replica with iPads and a talking booth scenario on the second floor.
Ceramic pieces, Mochica GG and Ocllo Nikkei, by Guillermo Guardia
In their mission statement for this gallery, the curators say “The artists in Cartography of Desire take on global issues that have local equivalents and vice versa: environmentalism, border violence, political iconoclasm, identity and human rights are explored by this group of foreign-born and first-generation artists making their home and art in a new country. They bring to bear their plurality of vision to concerns close at hand and far afield.”
The exhibit shows daily life from multiple perspectives, which challenges the concept of one universal way to experience the world, and helps further the mission of both St. Catherine University (St. Kate’s) and the art gallery.
The gallery is loved both by members of the surrounding community and by students at St. Kate’s. One student, Kate Yapp, enjoys spending her time visiting the gallery and viewing the exhibits. “I love coming here. The exhibits are always exciting and there’s so much variety in every show,” Kate Yapp ‘23 (Communication Studies and Political Science) said. “I have been to every exhibit so far this year, and I am always amazed at the different ways each one portrays depth, emotion, and reality. By far, this one is my favorite because of the commitment to social justice and how the interactive pieces tie in throughout the gallery.”
St. Kate's student Kate Yapp enjoying one of the interactive experiences featured in this exhibit
Gallery Director Nicole Watson is excited about this show as well, due to its strong artwork and connection with the gallery’s mission to show women’s art and provide St. Kate’s and the surrounding community with access to art.
This is written in Farsi by Nina Ghanbarzadeh showing how both English letters and Farsi script can overlap and trick the eye at first glance
“In addition to the thematic strength of this show and its expression of our social justice mission,” said Watson, “the artwork is aesthetically, technically and conceptually robust. It engages and challenges the viewer. In the gallery, we believe that visual art is another way of knowing and learning.”
The social justice component is furthered by curator and artist Katayoun. Part of her exhibit revolves around The Names We Change. In it, she focuses on how names can evolve over time, because of being an immigrant, migrant, or a member of the LGBTQ+ community.
“What I’m enjoying most about this show is its inclusion of interactive art, which has been a rarity in our gallery space,” Watson said. “We are so fortunate the artist is spending time on our campus, and engaging our community.”
To share your own name story with Katayoun, come and visit the art gallery on a Thursday this month. There is an advance sign-up sheet on the second floor gallery space. Your story will be added to Katayoun’s collection.
The exhibition continues through March 20. For more information about the show, related events, and gallery hours, please visit gallery.stkate.edu/exhibitions/cartography-of-desire.
