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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 2, 2008

Harn Museum of Art hosts “A Thirst for Change—Awareness to Action” on Sept. 4

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — The Harn Museum of Art, various University of Florida departments and local organizations will collaborate to present “A Thirst for Change—Awareness to Action” on Sept. 4 at the Harn Museum of Art. Visitors to the seminar, which is part of Museum Nights, will explore contemporary water issues facing society and enjoy one of the final opportunities to view Cross-Currents in Recent Video Installation: Water as Metaphor for Identity.

The evening will begin at 4 p.m. with a gallery talk led by Curator of African Art Susan Cooksey. Cooksey will guide visitors through Cross-Currents and explore the symbolism of water as interpreted by artists whose work is included in the exhibition.

At 5:30 p.m., UF Distinguished Professor, Religion Vasudha Narayanan will introduce Swati Mahalaxmi who will perform the tarangam in Kuchipudi, a form of classical Indian dance. The tarangam is traditionally the grand finale in a Kuchipudi recital and combines pure dance movements and mime. It culminates with rhythmic patterns of complicated footwork when the artist, with focused concentration, dances with her feet perched on the rim of a brass plate while simultaneously balancing three pitchers of water on her head.

The evening’s programming will continue with a discussion of local water issues led by Annie Pais, the executive director of Florida's Eden. After the discussion, there will be a screening of Wes Skiles’ “Hidden River.”

Beginning at 7:00 p.m., Vasudha Narayanan will facilitate “Water, Gender and Equity in India,” a conversation among UF students and faculty members from various programs, including engineering, botany and women’s studies. Faculty members, including Anita Anantharam, assistant professor Center for Women’s Studies and Gender Research and Center for the Study of Hindu Traditions, and Whitney Sanford, assistant professor of religion and Center for the Study of Hindu Traditions, are also among the participants. This discussion was organized by the UF Water Institute; the Center for the Study of Hindu Traditions (CHiTra); Department of Religion, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences; and the Center for Women's Studies and Gender Research.

The seminar will close with a gallery walk through of Cross-Currents in Recent Video Installation: Water as Metaphor for Identity. UF students will be stationed in the gallery to answer questions about the artworks in the exhibition. This final program begins at 8 p.m.

The evening’s events correlate with Cross-Currents in Recent Video Installation: Water as Metaphor for Identity, an exhibition on display at the Harn Museum until Sept. 7. This traveling exhibition presents recent video installations by five international artists with ties to Africa, including Zwelethu Mthethwa, Ingrid Mwangi (with Robert Hutter), Moataz Nasr and Berni Searle. The artworks included in the exhibition are large-scale with two of the works being projected on three screens measuring as large as 30 feet wide by 9 feet tall. Challenging and thought-provoking, each work on display uses water as a symbol for many concepts, including family, identity, violence and spiritual transformation. The exhibition was organized by Tufts University Art Gallery, Aidekman Arts Center and is made possible locally by the Talking Phone Book with additional support from the Sidney Knight Endowment.

The goal of Museum Nights is to make available the rich artistic and scientific offerings of the Harn Museum of Art and Florida Museum of Natural History to the student body of the University of Florida and the broader Gainesville community. Sponsored by UF Student Government, Museum Nights expands the museums' hours on Thursday evenings and provides programming and entertainment planned by students, for students.

Admission to the Harn Museum of Art is free. For more information visit www.harn.ufl.edu or call 352-392-9826.

SCHEDULE

4:00 p.m.
Gallery talk led by Curator of African Art Susan Cooksey
Cross-Currents in Recent Video Installation: Water as Metaphor for Identity

5:30 p.m.
Kuchipudi Tarangam: Dance performed by Swati Mahalaxmi; Introduction by Vasudha Narayanan, UF Distinguished Professor, Religion

5:45 p.m.
Discussion of local water issues and introduction to Wes Skiles’ “Hidden River” with Executive Director of Florida's Eden Annie Pais

6:00 p.m.
Screening of Wes Skiles’ “Hidden River”

7:00 p.m.
“Water, Gender and Equity in India,” a discussion among UF students and faculty members from various programs, facilitated by Vasu Narayanan. Program organized by the UF Water Institute, the Center for the Study of Hindu Traditions (CHiTra); Department of Religion, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences; and the Center for Women's Studies and Gender Research.

8:00 p.m.
Gallery walk through of Cross-Currents in Recent Video Installation: Water as Metaphor for Identity

Samuel P. Harn Museum of Art
The Harn Museum of Art at SW 34th St. and Hull Rd. is one of the largest university art museums in the country with nearly 7,000 works in its collection focusing on African, Asian, modern and contemporary art and photography. The museum enhances the activities of the University of Florida and serves a culturally diverse audience through educational programming. Admission is free. Museum hours are 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday. Parking is free on weekends. The Camellia Court Café is open seven days a week from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. The museum and café are open until 9 p.m. Thursdays for Museum Nights during the UF Academic calendar due to the generous support of UF Student Government. For more information call 352-392-9826 or visit www.harn.ufl.edu.

UF Student Government
The University of Florida Student Government, established in 1909, exists to represent and act in the interest of the students. Student Government (SG) has created an academic and extracurricular environment benefiting students through its programs and works to sustain and improve them each year. Visit www.sg.ufl.edu or call 352-392-1665 for more information.

Media contact:
Tami Wroath, Interim Director of Marketing and Public Relations
352.392.9826 x116
twroath@harn.ufl.edu