On Wednesday September 4th Wilkinson College and the Chapman Community celebrated the official opening of exhibitions from the Escalette Permanent Collection of Art, the Guggenheim Gallery and the Borderclicks project.  These four exhibitions are part of the campus-wide initiative “La Frontera-The Border,” a semester-long project meant to engage students, faculty, and members of the Chapman community in the discussion of border topics, U.S.-Mexico relations, and the stories of trans-border individuals.

 

 

The event took place in front of the Guggenheim Gallery and included refreshments and a first look at the “La Frontera – The Border: Art Across the Border” exhibit inside the gallery. Visitors were also encouraged to visit the other exhibitions on campus. “The Border: Selections from the Escalette Permanent Collection of Art“, is currently on display in the Doy and Dee Henley Reading Room, Leatherby Libraries, Second Floor. This exhibition showcases art on the subject of borders from the Phyllis and Ross Escalette Permanent Collection of Art. Artists include Pablo López Luz, Janire Najera, Tom Kiefer, and Bovey Lee. “Borderclick: Tijuana/San Diego” is on display in the Henley Galleria, Argyros Forum, Second Floor. Borderclick is a “a digital living archive” that was created by trans-border individuals, documenting their daily commutes for school or work. The Guggenheim Gallery is also producing a photo documentary installation of Richard Lou’s Border Door Performance from 1988. This installation is in the Entrance Hall, Beckman Hall, First Floor.

Dean of Wilkinson College, Dr. Jennifer D. Keene

Dr. Jennifer D. Keene, Dean of Wilkinson College,  introduced the “La Fontera-The Border” project and explained its significance for the College. Also in attendance were Glenn M. Pfeiffer, Ph.D, Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs, and Dr. Daniele Struppa, President of Chapman University. We were happy to welcome the Los Angeles Times, who wrote an amazing article about the event. 

We are delighted that the “La Frontera-The Border” opening celebration allowed our community to learn about this semester’s projects and to engage with some of the art on Chapman’s campus. Thank you to everyone involved for making this event such a success.