Mulberry Cultural Center art exhibit celebrates America's 250th birthday
Inside "The Red, White and Blue"
A Mulberry Cultural Center exhibit examines America's big birthday through art. From paintings, sculptures and unique raw materials, the artists share their views of the past, present and future. FOX 13 photojournalist Barry Wong goes inside "The Red, White and Blue".
MULBERRY, Fla. - A new multimedia exhibition at the Mulberry Cultural Center explores America's 250th birthday by bringing together artists to reflect on the country's past, present and future.
Mulberry cultural celebration
What we know:
"The Red, White and Blue" art exhibition marks the monumental occasion of America turning 250 years old.
"We thought it was a great opportunity to take a moment to ask people to express what that means to them," City of Mulberry Director of Culture & Programming Chelsea Young said.
Diverse Americana creations
The backstory:
The displayed artwork relies on distinct, traditional mediums to capture American heritage, such as an entirely handmade Baltimore album quilt reflecting specific textile styles of the 1840s and 1850s.
Artist Mary Parent hand-pieced, hand-quilted and hand-appliqued the fabric. She also built a 1950s diner scene inside an old fish tank. Meanwhile, multimedia artist Peggy Gallaher chose to focus on recreation and therapy with a piece titled "Gone Fishing," explaining that fishing was a vital pastime her father used to calm his nerves after serving in World War II.
"I hope they see the diversity of America," Gallaher added. "America is not just one culture or one people, it's everybody, and that's what makes us great."
Historical gallery perspectives
What they're saying:
"We want to hear everyone's story and celebrate this momentous occasion for our country," Young said.
Painter Mark Kilvington, who contributed a piece depicting General Grant in Virginia, noted the deeper meaning behind his historical Americana work.
"The country was very divided then, and it's kind of divided now, but we regrouped from that, so we can see ourselves through to the next phase of America," Kilvington said.
The Source: The information in this story was gathered from interviews with Chelsea Young, the Director of Culture & Programming for the City of Mulberry and participating artists Mark Kilvington, Mary Parent and Peggy Gallaher.