MANY LAYERS TO UNCOVER: WAM INVITES US TO EXPLORE THE PLURALITY OF IDENTITY

“Us Them We | Race Ethnicity Identity,” an invitation to explore the ambiguity of daily life and deep dive into examining our individuality and multiphased identities.

We are what we eat, say nutritionists and doctors. We are what we absorb from what we eat, say philosophers. How do we define who we are, what opportunities we have to focus on self-discovery, and how do we ultimately do that? In an era of technology, where Alexa seems to know more about ourselves than we do, and Netflix can tell us what we want to watch, how we keep the essence of who we are, and the consequences of struggling with ambiguity? As our “selves” appear to be moving away to a virtual realm, how can we secure our IDentity, with so much outside noise?

Worcester Art Museum (WAM), located in Worcester, Massachusetts, a city known as the Heart of the Commonwealth, holds a sizeable immigrant population, representing 22 percent of foreign born. It seems appropriate and celebratory to host “Us Them We | Race Ethnicity Identity,” an invitation to explore the ambiguity of daily life and be prodded into examining individuality and multiphases of identities. Visitors can browse two galleries captivated and sparked by the images, symbols and visual narratives that make the objects the focal point that directly responds to race, ethnicity and identity throughout various mediums.

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