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September 16 - November 19, 2000
AMERICAN HOLLOW
For nearly 40 percent of Miami Valley residents,
Appalachia represents the roots of their ethnic heritage. With more than
60 photographs by award-winning photographer Steve Lehman and a selection
of handmade quilts, this special exhibition focuses on the spiritual strength
and hardships of life in Appalachia through the eyes of one Kentucky family.
To complement the photographs by Steve Lehman, the Art Institute will highlight local ties to Appalachian heritage and art. Visitors will have the opportunity to see a selection of quilts by Dayton artist Mary Borkowski. Originally from southern Ohio, Borkowski has been creating quilts for more than 50 years. Well-known for her original designs, she received Sinclair Community College's Appalachian Unsung Hero Award in May 2000. In addition, the exhibition will feature more than a dozen photographs by Mary Marvin Patterson, wife of the late Jefferson Patterson, an important community leader and businessman in Dayton. As a volunteer for the Frontier Nursing Service in eastern Kentucky during the 1920s and 1930s, Mrs. Patterson documented life in Appalachia. Together, the quilts and photographs will offer a unique and local dimension to AMERICAN HOLLOW.
The exhibition is one element in a joint effort by HBO Films and Umbrage Editions that also includes a documentary film and a book. The 128-page book is published by Umbrage Editions and distributed by Bulfinch Press with an introductory essay by renowned Harvard child psychologist Robert Coles and interviews with members of the Bowling family. It is available for purchase in The Museum Store of The Dayton Art Institute for $35. The award-winning documentary of the same name was directed and produced by Rory Kennedy (daughter of Robert F. Kennedy) for HBO and presented at the prestigious Sundance Film Festival in 1999.