A painting of a pink flower with a stem that coils into a hissing snake is part of senior art major Annelia Norris’ display that hangs on the wall of the Multicultural Center. Norris is the “artist of the week” for the MCC’s new event, the Swirl.
The Swirl is an opportunity for students to express themselves through poetry, comments, music or “simply speaking what’s on their mind” in a relaxed, diverse atmosphere, MCC co-director Jana Schmieding said.
“We want to allow people in the different student unions a chance to get to know each other beyond a working environment,” she said. “Usually we are each closed off in our separate offices.”
The event will be held in the MCC from 4 to 5 p.m. today. The MCC hopes the Swirl can become a monthly or bimonthly event, Schmieding said. She added that the Swirl is in essence an open microphone event, minus the microphone.
The MCC also hopes to display a different artist’s work each month as part of the Swirl. This week’s artist, Norris, is part Yurok, a Northern California Native American tribe. She said her art addresses issues within the culture.
“Native Americans are highly underrepresented and rarely heard. People forget that we exist, that our culture exists, and we are struggling to ensure our culture is known,” she said. “(My art) addresses that struggle.”
Some of her art also concentrates on how she sees the role and responsibility of women in her culture, she said. Femininity, child birth and the naturalness of women are themes in several of her collages and sculptures.
“Through my art, I am addressing the truth. I am reminding people where Native Americans are coming from,” she said.
She said that people often are biased toward European art and seem to forget there are different ways of expressing the world through art.
Schmieding said the event was planned in hopes that the diverse atmosphere will encourage students to come and share art or poetry that they may not feel comfortable expressing in other venues on campus.
“The faculty and staff in the arts and theater departments isn’t very diverse,” she said.
She emphasized that all students are welcome to come and listen or participate. Students wanting to participate or display their art can sign up in the MCC or in any of the student unions.
MCC Program Advisor Steve Morozumi added that it is important to provide the opportunity for free speech by offering a place for people to reflect their concerns and express their identities.
“Rap, poetry, commentary will add to the multicultural fabric of the community as a whole so that we can understand each other at a more personal level,” he said.