Past exhibition:

THE EXTRAORDINARY

An exhibition generated from an OPEN CALL of artists holding or applying for an O-1 Artist Visa

About

THE EXTRAORDINARY

An exhibition generated from an OPEN CALL of artists holding or applying for an O-1 Artist Visa

October 16, 2019 - February 29, 2020

FEATURING:

Sarah Mihara Creagen, Canada Woomin Kim, South Korea Firoz Mahmud, Bangladesh Yue Nakayama, Japan Anna Parisi, Brazil Shimpei Shirafuji, Japan Catalina Tuca, Chile Ramyar Vala, Iran

The Extraordinary is group show of eight artists who have or are seeking an O-1 Non-immigration Visa: Individuals with Extraordinary Ability or Achievement. Qualification for an O-1 Visa is based on subjective and complicated set of criteria: that individuals be “renowned” and have “distinction” in their field. The exhibition aims to bring attention and transparency to the immigration process while also critiquing this very system. The Extraordinary is an exhibition that visa-seeking artists can list on their CVs as part of the visa-qualifying process. The exhibition checklist was generated from an open call that received 123 applications from artists from 40 different countries. The eight artists included here were selected by a prestigious jury made of immigrant arts workers.

The structure that surrounds The Extraordinary aims to locate HEHG as a resource for the community and a safe place for critical discourse around the misunderstandings and misconceptions about legal immigration. Programming will include workshops with immigration lawyers, an artist panel discussion, support group sessions with O-1 Visa holders, performances, and more. See full programming schedule here.

SELECTION JURY:

✦ María del Carmen Carrión, Project Manager, Cisneros Institute at MoMA

✦ Solana Chehtman, Director of Civic Programs, The Shed

✦ Hitomi Iwasaki, Director of Exhibitions & Curator, Queens Museum

✦ Javier Telles, internationally recognized artist

Participating artists are awarded:

+ An exhibition at an internationally recognized university gallery in Manhattan, New York City (www.huntereastharlemgallery.org for information on past exhibition projects).

+ Artwork shipping and handling, including insurance on site.

+ An honorarium.

+ Published gallery guide/catalogue including a curatorial statement, and an artist section for an artwork image, artwork and biographical information.

+ A formal letter of acknowledgment to the US Government documenting participation in the exhibition.

+ An opportunity to participate in a public program such as an artist talk or panel discussion.

+ Resources such as access to immigration lawyers and colleagues who've been through the process. A robust schedule of public programing is set.

+ Exposure to Hunter College academic setting and the resources of the university.

The Extraordinary is curated by Arden Sherman and Nora Maité Nieves at Hunter East Harlem Gallery. Support for this exhibition is generously provided by The Anna-Maria and Stephen Kellen Foundation, and Hunter College.