Metropolitan Library Service Agency (MELSA)

Exhibition of photographs by Jila Nikpay
www.facesofnewamerica.com

Artist's Statement: "This collection of portraits of immigrant youth grew out of my fascination with the theme of cultural identity and belonging. I am drawn to working with these young people because of their flexibility and mystery. Through these portraits, I explore their complex rite of passage, which mirrors the evolving America identity" (continued below).

This touring exhibition is hosted by MELSA member libraries.

Faces of New America Exhibit Photos were displayed:
Date	Library System	Library	Location
December 1, 2010– January 30, 2011	Hennepin County	Minneapolis Central	300 Nicollet Mall, Cargill Hall, Minneapolis
February 2– March 31, 2011	Carver County	Chanhassen Library	7711 Kerber Blvd., Chanhassen
** Artist Talk with Jila Nikpay, February 26, 2011, 1:00 p.m. Chanhassen Library, 7711 Kerber Blvd., Chanhassen
April 1– May 30, 2011	Scott County	Savage	13090 Alabama Avenue South, Savage
April 1– May 30, 2011	Scott County	Prior Lake	16210 Eagle Creek Avenue SE, Prior Lake
June 1–29, 2011	Hennepin County	Hopkins	22 11th Avenue North, Hopkins
June 1–29, 2011	Hennepin County	Ridgedale	12601 Ridgedale Drive, Minnetonka
July 1– August 30, 2011	Anoka County	Mississippi Branch	410 Mississippi St. NE, Fridley
September 2011	Dakota County	Burnhaven	1101 County Road 42 West, Burnsville
September 2011	Dakota County	Galaxie	14955 Galaxie Ave., Apple Valley
November–December 2011	Hennepin County	Washburn	5244 Lyndale Ave S., Minneapolis
January– March 2012	Ramsey County	White Bear Lake	4698 Clark Ave., White Bear Lake
April 4–30, 2012	Washington County	Wildwood	763 Stillwater Rd., Mahtomedi
May 1– June 28, 2012	Saint Paul Public	Hamline Midway	1558 Minnehaha Ave W, St. Paul
May 1– June 28, 2012	Saint Paul Public	Dayton’s Bluff	534 East 7th St., St. Paul
July 1–31, 2012	Washington County	Hardwood Creek	19955 Forest Rd N, Forest Lake

Artist's Statement:

As my subjects are developing into adulthood they witness their parents’ struggle for acceptance in America. Their coming-of -age journey is also fraught with many paradoxes unique to the process of acculturation. One such paradox is peer pressure, the invisible incubator of American mainstream culture which is often a source of contention within immigrant families. This is particularly evident in cultures where models of respect demand loyalty to one’s parents and not peers. This lived experience of making sense of modern and traditional values enables the youth to navigate through cultures and subcultures, building personal histories and character unusual for their age.

In order to get a closer look at this dimension in the lives of my young subjects, I engage in personal interviews with the children and their parents prior to making the portraits. In this exchange, my own history of integration into American culture acts as a prism, through which the multi-faceted realities of the subject become visible. Our shared experience of crossing borders, cultures, time and memory serve as a foundation for understanding the “self” as a composite of identities, rooted in both “old” and “new” worlds.

Our identity is shaped as much by remembering as forgetting. Our face expresses that which lies beneath the surface in transitory moments. These portraits provide a window through which we might examine the changing face of this country at a crucial crossroad in our history.

JILA NIKPAY is an award-winning photographer/ filmmaker whose work explores the theme of identity and belonging. She has exhibited at the Walker Art Center, Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art, Minnesota Historical Society and many other institutions nationally. Nikpay is the recipient of numerous awards for her work from the Jerome and McKnight foundations as well as the Minnesota State Arts Board. Her innovative educational projects with immigrant youth have received support from both the McKnight and St. Paul foundations.

Visit www.facesofnewamerica.com/public-forum/publicforum/
and share your thoughts about these questions:

• What does it mean to be an American?
• What is the most American part of you?
• Have you ever felt like an outsider?

Faces of New America is conceived and produced by Jila Nikpay
All photographs © Jila Nikpay 2010

Exhibition organized by MELSA and supported by Minnesota’s Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund.