Performers from the Redhawk Native American Arts Council from Brooklyn, N.Y., teach Geneseo students two dances, as well as Native American heritage and stereotyping during a 2016 Cultural Harmony Week event. This year's theme addresses "Inclusion, Community and Diversity."
Geneseo’s 18th annual Cultural Harmony Week opens on Oct. 15 with a lineup of programs, activities and panel discussions. Under the theme of “Home and Away: Experiences of Trauma & Hope,” the observance will explore the many battles we face at home and around the world as we move toward understanding loss, recovery and peace.
“Cultural Harmony Week gives us an opportunity to share and learn from each other by examining our culture, heritage, history, identity and self-expression,” said Fatima Rodriguez Johnson, assistant dean of Students, Multicultural Programs and Services. “This is so important to cultivating a positive atmosphere and building mutual respect for difference.”
Activities kickoff on campus on Monday, Oct. 16, at 5:30 p.m., in Newton 214 with a screening of the film, “The Mask You Live In," followed by a panel discussion on how both boys and young men struggle to stay true to themselves while navigating America’s narrow definition of masculinity.
Tuesday’s highlight is a panel discussion, "War's Impact on Natural & Cultural Resources.” Beginning at 5 p.m. in Bailey 102, panelists will discuss the causalities of war and how the ability to preserve the earth’s minerals, water, land and cultural history becomes long-term challenges for all of us.
On Wednesday at 2:30 p.m. in the College Union ballroom, artist and educator Steve Prince will use the power of storytelling and visual arts to tell a multi-layered story of the American experience. In a lecture, “Rebirth: The Trials of Nicodemus,” Prince will offer ways in which we can collectively grapple with societal issues such as race and class through the creative process.
Prince will continue the conversation through a series of community art workshops. Focusing on themes of reconciliation, healing and peace, Prince will guide participants in the creation of original works utilizing rotary tools to carve woodblocks, which will then be used to create a large-scale print. The workshops will take place on Wednesday at 6 p.m. and 8 p.m., on Thursday at 10 a.m., and 1, 3 and 7 p.m., and on Friday at 9 a.m. in the College Union ballroom.
Also on Thursday, the Japanese war documentary, "The Emperor's Naked Army Marches On,” will be screened at 7 p.m. in Newton 204. The film traces the efforts of director Okuzaki Kenzõ to chronicle war crimes, including murder and cannibalism, committed by Japanese soldiers in occupied New Guinea during World War II.
On Friday at 3 p.m., a printing and steam-rolling event lead by Steve Prince will assemble the wood block art pieces created in the community art workshops. Prince will discuss how making art from trauma addresses how communities and individuals may heal from war and other forms of violence. The resulting collective steamroller print will be completed near the Bear Fountain, which has also experienced repeated trauma.
Throughout the week, Milne Library will feature a photo exhibit by Evan Goldstein ’17, who journeyed solo across the country to explore and document America as part of his ambassadorship project. As the 2016 James Houston ’80 Ambassador in Innovation, Goldstein used the opportunity to spend six weeks on the road, creating a snapshot of America in the spirit of other photographers in the 1950s.
Cultural Harmony Week will close at 5:30 p.m. Saturday with the annual Alliance for Community Enrichment/Student Association Intercultural dinner at which multicultural and diversity interest student organizations will come together to share their experiences through skits, dance, song and food. The dinner will be held in the College Union ballroom.
See the full schedule of Cultural Harmony Week events here. For more information, contact the Office of Multicultural Programs and Services at johnsonf@geneseo.edu or (585) 245-5620.