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| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Cool Breezes: Handheld Fans in 20th-Century American Folk Art, Fashion, and Advertising Before air conditioners started cooling the country, Americans fanned themselves when they got hot. Fans could be plain or fancy, riotous or refined, meticulously crafted or mass-produced, but everyone had them and used them. Cool Breezes: Handheld Fans in 20th-Century American Folk Art, Fashion, and Advertising, opening on [opening date] at [your institution], introduces exhibition visitors to the world of handheld fans and to the roles fans have played in the everyday lives of Americans. Cool Breezes explores fans as common objects in American popular culture and presents a wide range of fan genres, from sturdy folding fans built for daily use, to fragile and elaborately decorated fans that served as fashion accessories and flirtation tools. The exhibition also explores fans as part of a visually rich design tradition and as a guide to advertising and cultural developments in 20th-century America. A brief history of fans, beginning with Asian and European traditions, sets the context from which American fans evolved. [In this paragraph, provide details about any activities you plan in conjunction with the exhibition. Also include information about museum/gallery hours, admission costs, and a phone number to call for additional information.] The exhibition is curated by Joyce Cheney, an independent scholar with a strong interest in textiles, folk art, and popular culture. Cool Breezes continues her examination of seemingly ordinary objects to discover the living history they contain—both the creativity that went into their making and the human stories they tell. Cool Breezes: Handheld Fans in 20th Century American Folk Art, Fashion, and Advertising is organized and toured by ExhibitsUSA. The purpose of ExhibitsUSA is to create access to an array of arts and humanities exhibitions, nurture the development and understanding of diverse art forms and cultures, and encourage the expanding depth and breadth of cultural life in local communities. ExhibitsUSA is a national division of Mid-America Arts Alliance, a private, nonprofit organization founded in 1972. *Please see www.exhibitsusa.org for the most current crediting information.
©2002 Mid-America Arts Alliance. All Rights Reserved |