Claudia Nakano, director of the Utah Office of Multicultural Affairs, had no trouble planning the content of “Only Light.”
“There were no challenges. We work with the multicultural community,” Nakano said. “I wanted to do something significant in honor of Martin Luther King, Jr.”
The idea of a MLK, Jr. inspired gallery came from a previous Rio Gallery art display.
“Last year, we hung some banners of Dr. King, so that sparked the idea to do an art exhibit,” Nakano said.
Bringing together artwork and putting on a successful exhibition is something Nakano has been doing for a while. She shared her own thoughts on how she and the Utah Division of Arts and Museums planned “Only Lights.”
“It needed to have a theme. In honor of Dr. King, we thought about his spirit and his contributions to the civil rights movement. [Contributions that] continue to impact the local and global community,” Nakano said.
Felicia Baca, in charge of Visual Arts and Exhibitions at the Utah Division of Arts and Exhibitions, is looking forward to the gallery demonstration. She glowed with pride at the range of artists and styles they will have on display.
“We have artists that are both working and living in the present day and a few that are no longer living. We have pieces both historical and contemporary. Included in the exhibition are portraits of leaders in the field, and other artists dealing in environmental and human rights,” Baca said.
Included in the exhibit are portraits created by Margaret Tarampi, who paints significant civil and human rights leaders. For instance, Tarampi’s portrayal of Cesar Chavez will mark up a segment of the Rio Gallery’s walls. In addition, Lenka Konopasek’s “Disaster Series” depicts Hurricane Katrina and whose subject matter revolves around the sensitive topics of race and poverty.
Baca also emphasized the diversity at play. Not just the artists and particular styles, but how the artwork speaks to the spirit of Martin Luther King, Jr. and the larger and broader issues of civil and human rights.
“It’s pretty broad in scope, anything from painting to multimedia work. There is really great diversity with media work, artists and their background. It’s a pretty broad interpretation of big issues, both historically and contemporarily,” Baca said.