The first exhibit at the Museum officially opened on May 2nd. The exhibit, entitled Every Day is Earth Day allows us to see the world through the eyes of seven members of the IVC Arts Faculty. We marked the occasion with a celebration of art and film that continued all evening.Earlier in the month, we held a preview of the event for the Friends of the Museum, a support group of members who have made a commitment to support the museum with a gift of $500 every year for the next five years. Lauryl Driscoll, who attended both events, commented that her parents had worked for more than 30 years to see this museum get built, "and it is great to see it finally happen."
The museum has had a long history with IVC and it is great that the first exhibit gets to be the work of professors. “I like the idea of having a new cultural institution that will support the arts,” said Bernardo Olmedo, who was instrumental in organizing the exhibit. Carol Hegarty, the Head of the Humanities Department at IVC, agreed, “It takes everyone working together in a community for local arts to be successful. It is not about competition, it is about partnership.”
The evening continued with a screening from the Sundance Institute's Film Forward program. Organized through the Film Commissioners office, the Film Forward program brought two independent films to the Imperial Valley with the film directors. Here at the Museum, we screened Bran Nue Dae an Aboriginal Australian film. The film has been viewed over 8 million times in Australia, a country with a population of just 2 million. Many attendees commented that the film was funnier than they thought it would be and the director, Rachel Perkins, explained that this film is one of only 3 Aboriginal comedies - and she has produced two of them. Usually, she said, films about Aboriginal people are somber and serious and she deliberately made a film that people could see themselves reflected in and laugh.
The night overall stimulated conversation on the commonalities and differences between cultures, cultural expression through art, and the charming grace of passionate communities.
The evening continued with a screening from the Sundance Institute's Film Forward program. Organized through the Film Commissioners office, the Film Forward program brought two independent films to the Imperial Valley with the film directors. Here at the Museum, we screened Bran Nue Dae an Aboriginal Australian film. The film has been viewed over 8 million times in Australia, a country with a population of just 2 million. Many attendees commented that the film was funnier than they thought it would be and the director, Rachel Perkins, explained that this film is one of only 3 Aboriginal comedies - and she has produced two of them. Usually, she said, films about Aboriginal people are somber and serious and she deliberately made a film that people could see themselves reflected in and laugh.The night overall stimulated conversation on the commonalities and differences between cultures, cultural expression through art, and the charming grace of passionate communities.
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