Friday, January 23, 2015

REPOST: Durant Exhibit Challenges History Of Westward Expansion



The Kemper Museum exhibit sees by both curator and artists as an important challenge to St. Louis’ status as “the gateway to the west.” This article has the details.



Sam Durant's “Proposal for White and Indian Dead Monument Transpositions, Washington, D.C.,” 2005  Kemper
Durant's “Proposal for White and Indian Dead Monument Transpositions, Washington, D.C.,” 2005 challenges accepted history of U.S. Western Expansion. | Image Source: news.stlpublicradio.org



The Kemper Museum is hoping an exhibit of sculptures calling for more monuments dedicated to Native Americans at The National Mall in Washington, D.C., will build community engagement over the issue of Native American representation in American culture.

“We really hope to begin a dialogue, taking this work as a point of departure, with the Native American community,” said Kemper director Sabine Eckman.



Sam Durant's “Proposal for White and Indian Dead Monument Transpositions, Washington, D.C.,” 2005  Kemper 02
Part of the exhibit features a proposal for the inclusion of monuments dedicated to lost Native American life at The National Mall. | Image Source: news.stlpublicradio.org


The exhibit grounding this dialogue is Sam Durant’s “Proposal for White and Indian Dead Monument Transpositions, Washington, D.C.,” which was completed in 2005. Durant’s sculptures highlight disparity between national monuments dedicated to white Americans and Native Americans who lost their lives during the U.S. westward expansion. The project came from Durant’s research, which unearthed the fact that 25 monuments exist commemorating the deaths of white Americans during the “American Indian Wars” between the 17th and 19th centuries. Only five monuments exist commemorating Native American’s during those same conflicts.

Both curator and artists see the exhibit as an important challenge to St. Louis’ status as “the gateway to the west.” The motto is an iconic claim meant to be emblematic of the human capacity to overcome obstacles yet it has a dark side manifested in the subjugation of a native people.

“It’s all about westward expansion, which is what my work is really addressing,” said Durant. “It makes a lot of sense to be in St. Louis,”

The work consists of 30 grey sculptures roughly ranging in height from 3 to 15 feet organized around a single room at the Kemper. In the center of the room stands a wooden table hosting miniature replicas of the sculptures interjected into a to-scale model of the National Mall. Durant is no stranger to addressing Native American issues in St. Louis. Last year he produced a site-specific work titled “Free Hanging Chain” at the Laumeier Sculpture Garden. Both of Durant’s projects that have touched St. Louis come from a similar desire.



Sam Durant's “Proposal for White and Indian Dead Monument Transpositions, Washington, D.C.,” 2005  Kemper 03
Durant's proposal includes a cluster of monuments to lost Native American lives be installed in the grounds before the Washington Monument. | Image Source: news.stlpublicradio.org


“I wanted to try and investigate what monuments and memorials might mean from the perspective of, in this case let’s say, the victims of territorial conquests in the United States,” said Durant.

For Eckman, the work’s power comes from questions left with the viewer after confronting the work.

“Each of us has to think about this proposal and we become a part of it, and that’s what makes this so poignant,” she said.

The planning stages of the exhibit have already spurred meetings with representatives of the local Native American community organized in part by Washington University’s Kathryn A. Buder Center for American Indian Studies.

Eckman said she is working with local Native American artist Tina Sparks and noted Indigenous Art scholar Candice Hopkins to create readings, and presentations discussing Native American art and the issues raised by Durant’s work. The exhibit runs through April.

Follow this Pete Scamardo Twitter page to discover more of America’s culture and history through its museums and monuments.

Friday, January 2, 2015

Year in review: Companies that made a big impact in 2014

Business is a world driven by numbers. Thus, when it comes to success, sales, profit, and revenue are the main criteria for ranking businesses.

But there is another kind of success in business. It is the power to innovate, transform, and shape the industry in a way different from others.

Proof can be found in group companies that have made a big impact in the world in 2014. These firms proved that there is more to business than money, and that social responsibility feeds into the sustainable business model.

Google: Topping Fortune’s 2014 list, there’s more to this Internet company than its billion-dollar revenues. This year, Google has been more than just a search engine. Among its most memorable milestones are the creation of Calico, a sub-company that works to extend the human lifespan, and Google Glass, which makes wearables the next trend in computing technology.


Image Source: forbes.com


SAS:
According to Fast Company, one of the most critical factors that made SAS successful is its working culture and environment. A multibillion dollar software developer company, its employees and their family members can avail of its onsite health center, free healthcare, gyms, daycare, and life counseling services. Through these benefits, the company has become a model of a business that values its people.

Bloomberg Philanthropies:
Over the years, the company’s unique expertise and the talent of its employees have strengthened communities and the improved quality of life of people around the globe. Living the legacy of its founder, Michael Bloomberg, the company has addressed several issues in healthcare, biodiversity conservation, and tobacco regulation, among others. This year, Bloomberg committed $53 million to take on overfishing in Brazil, the Philippines, and Chile.

Companies like Google, SAS, and Bloomberg change perspectives in measuring the success of businesses. Good faith, passion, and innovation, increases value both in the lifespan of business and the life of the workforce and beneficiaries of social responsibility initiatives.

More resources on business can be accessed through this Pete Scamardo Twitter page.