Dying town inspires artists

  Thursday, February 25, 2016 2:00 AM
  News

Pittsburg, KS

A new exhibit in the University Gallery at Pittsburg State University encompasses the work of two artists, a photographer and a metalsmith/enamellist, who take a look at a dying Illinois town through the lenses of their own media.

“Cairo, Illinois” features the photography of Gwen Walstrand and the vessels of Sarah Perkins, both professors at Missouri State University.

The artists say that although the artwork in the exhibit is not collaborative, the works are designed to be viewed together.

In a statement accompanying the exhibit, the artists wrote that “Cairo is a unique place with both rich and tragic histories, a visual showcase of all this is best and worst in our American history. The exhibition is a window about not just Cairo but many towns across the United States.”

Once a booming town with a population of more than 15,000, Cairo, Illinois, now has just 3,000 residents. Its historic buildings are abandoned and in decay.

“Many events and circumstances caused the precipitous decline of Cairo,” the artists wrote. “The town’s history includes booming success as a shipping town at the confluence of the Mississippi and Ohio rivers. The more recent history is one of race riots, appalling violence, multiple lynchings, domination by white supremacist groups, and eventual boycotts of local businesses by African Americans.”

Museum of Art Director Rhona McBain said the exhibit is an invitation to a discussion.

“Sarah and Gwen have allowed us the opportunity to start discussions on campus and in our community about so many important topics,” McBain said. “They have also created a document of loss. Loss of a town, loss of a history, and loss of what could have been Cairo’s future. I am looking forward to the visitor’s conversations in the upcoming days.”

The University Gallery is located in Porter Hall, 202 E. Cleveland. The University Gallery is open from 8:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. Monday-Friday. Admission is free. For more information, contact McBain at 620-235-4202.