Art Talk: E PLURIBUS, THE GIFTS OF DIVERSE CULTURES
Muriel Stockdale
Fri. May 17
5:30 PM @287 Gallery, 287 Main Street, Danbury
Come meet the artists, talk with her about her process, travel, and more.
Muriel was educated until age 13 in the United Kingdom. She earned her MFA in 1982 from New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts Graduate Design Department. For fourteen years, Muriel was a valued member of the teaching faculty at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts, Graduate Design Department. Throughout, Muriel has extensively studied the cultures and religions of the world by reading many of the classic texts and through various classes, workshops, seminars, retreats and much travel.
“Out of Many, One” it refers to the union of the first 13 states, which then included people from only 6 countries. “I find it ironic that this statement is still absolutely relevant today when so many arrive from so far to make up this One, great nation of the USA.” Examples of the flags are the Scottish American made from tartan wools, Japanese American made from origami papers, and Chinese American made from Chinese silks and talismans. Currently there are over 50 flags in the collection and more on the way.
“I personally feel that America is a multicolored, multifaceted nation of extremely diverse interests, views and substance and that is what makes it great. Our flag and our prophetic motto remind us that we can be very different and yet still come together in harmony, Out of Many, One. To honor that diversity inclusively I began making these flags. This is not a statement of an Empirical United States abroad but rather a welcome to really look at the current make up of our country and to celebrate who we are now, and here at home in the USA.”