Diversity in Cultural Heritage by Amanda Marie B. Sanchez

Negro Aroused 1935, by Edna Manley

amanda_marie — 2021-02-16 16:52:07 UTC

Wendy Red Star

amanda_marie — 2021-02-16 16:54:07 UTC

Wendy Red Star is a Native American contemporary artist. Her artwork and photography revolve mainly around representing her cultural heritage. She was born in Montana, raised on the Apsáalooke, also known as Crow, reservation. She offers new perspectives through her art narratives and confronts overgeneralizations, while utilizing humor in her pieces.

Apsáalooke Roses 2016 by Wendy Red Star

amanda_marie — 2021-02-20 15:54:29 UTC

Flower Festival 1925, Oil on canvas - by Diego Rivera

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Planting Rice 1892 by Fernando Amorsolo

amanda_marie — 2021-02-20 17:38:24 UTC

Works Cited

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Frida Kahlo 2020, by Jane Perkins

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Marion Boehm, DESERT GIRLS, 2018

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Embracing Diversity

amanda_marie — 2021-02-23 03:07:30 UTC

In America, there resides numerous kinds of communities and people who bring with them different cultural perspectives. Embracing the inclusion of these different groups is very important in regards to accepting everyone's variations and distinctions. Aside from acceptance and not simply tolerating another group, we must respect the differences we bring with us; this means making an effort to understand and learn, and it means celebrating the variations in cultures. One form of expression of diversity is represented through artwork and photography, and these artists likely will choose to represent their cultural heritage by either painting, sculpting, or photographing specific styles or fashions that pertain to their own backgrounds.

Tangible vs Intangible Cultural Heritage

amanda_marie — 2021-02-23 03:12:04 UTC

Tangible cultural heritage refers to the physical objects that one can touch that is associated with a group's cultural heritage. For example, monuments, buildings, artifacts produced, artistic creations, or anything physically produced with cultural significance.

Intangible cultural heritage refers to the practices, beliefs, skills, songs and hymns, rituals and myths, representations and expressions, and knowledge of a specific cultural group.

Defining Diversity in Society

amanda_marie — 2021-02-23 03:27:33 UTC

Diversity is defined as the different types or different groups of people and individuals with varying cultures, races, ethnicities, etc. in a society. It encompasses the different qualities or elements of people in communities. In the context of cultural heritage, diversity exists from the variety of languages spoken, the religious beliefs, fashions/styles, and geographical origins.

Defining Cultural Heritage

amanda_marie — 2021-02-23 03:28:21 UTC

A group's cultural heritage reflects the way of living a specific community of people adopt and choose to pass on over for generations. Within cultural heritage, the things that help distinguish between communities include traditions, values, lifestyles, folklore, and history. Examples of different cultures with their own heritage include African, Jamaican, Native American, Japanese, Philippine, Mexican, and much more. The way these cultures choose to dress, express themselves, and interact with one another all pertain to preserved culture. Cuisines and delicacies also can be distinct in various cultures; paella is a popular delicacy in Latin culture while abgoosht is popular in Iranian culture.

Jamaican Cultural Heritage

amanda_marie — 2021-02-23 23:35:58 UTC

Negro Aroused is a sculpture created by Edna Manley, a woman born from a Jamaican mother and English father in the year 1900. Her sculpture's intention was to create a new vision and order while awakening a new consciousness in regards to Jamaican identity.

The Jamaican culture is largely based off of a mixture of European and African influence. This mixture is evident in Jamaican religious affiliations, language, music, dance expression, and tales. Unfortunately, much of Jamaica's history involves the horrors of slavery, and the first African slaves brought to the land occurred due to European involvement in the 16th century. The sculpture, Negro Aroused, serves as a reminder and illustrates a visual representation of the harsh realities of Jamaican slavery.

Philippine Cultural Heritage

amanda_marie — 2021-02-24 03:34:28 UTC

Fernando Amorsolo was a Philippine artist known for creating portraits and painting rural landscapes in the Philippines, such as his artwork Planting Rice 1892 that captures the field work necessary for families to live off of.

Philippine culture features a mixture of both eastern and western influence from previous imperialism, but it's heavily influenced by the indigenous Austronesian people's traditions. The religions that shape their traditions and customs are both Christianity and Islam. Common cultural attire include the Maria Clara for women and the Barong Tagalog for men usually worn for special circumstances.

Mexican Cultural Heritage

amanda_marie — 2021-02-24 04:04:14 UTC

Mexican artist Diego Rivera was well known in the art world for creating both political or cultural portrayals. In his famous paintings, like Flower Vender and Flower Festival, Rivera makes an effort to tell the stories of workers and farmers in Mexican society.

Culture in Mexico is still heavily influenced my Mayan and Aztec traditions, but the culture still takes from European colonization. The Spanish language is the most widely spoken language in Mexico, which is a direct result of the colonizers from Spain. Other facets of Mexican cultural heritage include the myths and literature influenced by the indigenous peoples; one legend is known as "La llorona" which tells the tale of a woman who cries after loosing her son or the legends of the Sacred woods of Chapultepec where the sculptures of Aztec emperors live.

Cultural Heritage Art Expression

amanda_marie — 2021-02-24 04:19:40 UTC

In art museums all over, there exists the ever present straight, white male artist. Lack of diversity and cultural expression from African American, Asian, and Latin artists is an issue in the modern art world. There needs to be a change to the narrative that strays from more inclusivity. There needs to be an appreciation for a mixture of diverse art culture that adds to the interdependence we hold with one another. Providing illustrations of cultural heritage in modern art galleries opens the spectator's eyes to the variety of kinds of people who live in our country and provides a more accurate depiction of art history.

Connection to Myself

amanda_marie — 2021-02-24 04:22:31 UTC

I come from a mother from Italian-Colombian descent and a father from Spanish-Venezuelan descent. This shapes how I view the world, my tastes, my perspective in society, and how I express myself. However, I was born in the United States and surrounded by white culture; as a result of this, I was and still am exposed to more of an Americanized outlook than if I were to have grown up in South America or Europe. In one way that growing up in a society which values whiteness and sameness has effected me is through my childhood expectations of myself. In elementary school, I recall never wanting to expose myself too much in the sun for a fear of becoming too tan. My hair, full of curls, was a childhood insecurity of mine, so I straightened it nearly everyday for roughly ten years of my life. Though I have overcome these perceptions of myself, my mother on the other hand continues to dye her brown hair blonde and straighten out her curls. Currently, though not ashamed of my heritage, American culture was implemented in me very young, affecting my fashion and music taste in the process. I rarely listen to Latin music, and I do not speak Italian or Spanish with fluency. Though Hollywood and the media are improving upon the incorporation of other cultural heritages, I still feel like the Hispanic woman is not represented well in films or in visual culture, and this lack of representation and embracement is what discouraged me to learn the language of my ancestors and dive into our traditions.

"The Other"

amanda_marie — 2021-02-24 04:26:11 UTC

The idea of the other describes how people, who are not the white American heterosexual male, are not considered to be apart of the standards or apart of the norms in society. Individuals who are of color, from a different ethnic culture, or even have a different sexual identity all make up this notion of the other. This idea has the power to generate overgeneralizations, stereotypes, and discriminations directed towards different groups of people. When people fall into being categorized as the other, they may be treated with contempt, outcaste, or excluded in the community. Our society also fails to fully represent the other whether it's in film, advertisements, in the media, or curriculum. Especially in Hollywood, the other is used as the antagonist or portrayed as the villain that the audience usually is not supposed to be able to relate to; most Disney villains are known for having strong foreign accents such as in The Lion King. Mufasa speaks in the typical American accent while his bother Scar (the antagonist) has a European accent, and Scar's henchmen (the hyenas) have Hispanic and African American accents. America should not be making people with differing cultural heritages feel unwelcomed but should be appreciating the interdependence of humanity and learn from the experience of others.

Native American Cultural Heritage

amanda_marie — 2021-02-24 17:26:23 UTC

In her piece Apsáalooke Roses, Wendy Red Star provides a glimpse into the fashion and attire of Native Americans while juxtaposing it to popular culture. She heavily utilizes bright and colorful pigments to carry a surreal atmosphere in her work and combat romanticized representations.

One traditional and distinctive characteristic from the Native American culture is their clothing. Feather headdresses, deerskin, and glass beads have been incorporated into the culture for hundreds of years. Vivid colors and paint are used during occasions of celebration and jewelry is commonly seen. Before European arrival into the Americas, Southwestern tribes had developed different methods of weaving using cotton and made cloth for shirts, tunics, blankets, and robes.

African Cultural Heritage

amanda_marie — 2021-02-24 17:59:08 UTC

Marion Boehm, the artist of Desert Girls, was born in Germany in the year 1964 and settled in South Africa after years of travel. She wanted to embrace and pay tribute to the wonderful people she encountered, creating portraits of particularly the African women. In order to create her artwork, she upcycled material such as discarded newspapers, sheshwe cloth, and other materials from the colonial period.

African culture constitutes a mixture of various ethnic tribes, with both European and Arabic influence. One of their core values is the importance of family, and children are taught young the significance of their tribe. Protection and caring for the welfare of one another is crucial. One custom in African tribes includes spitting as a sign of blessing; to show respect, people will spit in their hands before shaking, and to bless a new born baby, one may spit on the baby's head. In Africa, there are hundreds of languages and dialects spoken, but one of the most common includes Swahili; however, due to previous colonization, languages like French, Spanish, and English are spoken in Africa, as well.

"Other" Representation

amanda_marie — 2021-02-24 17:59:40 UTC

The illustration of Frida Kahlo was created by artist Jane Perkins. Perkins is a white woman artist who considers herself to be a "re-maker" since the works she creates are based on past photographs or illustrations, and she remakes them using recycled material. She uses material such as toys, whistles, beads, pins, buttons, and other randomly found objects to depict actual people like the Queen, the Mona Lisa, and other known individuals.

When making her pieces, she makes an intention to include "the other." She recreates photographs of Barak Obama, the Afghan Girl, and, of course, Frida Kahlo. Artists take a positive step forward towards inclusion when creating art involving people of different cultural heritages. It is important to sway away from the typical white woman as a means of inspiration; otherwise, there will be no effort in eliminating the white standards that exists in America.

Resources

amanda_marie — 2021-02-24 19:51:28 UTC

Biography.yourdictionary.com. 2021. Fernando Amorsolo. [online] Available at: [Accessed 25 February 2021].

Culture in Development. 2021. What is Cultural Heritage - Culture in Development. [online] Available at: [Accessed 24 February 2021].

Diegorivera.org. 2020. Diego Rivera - Paintings,Murals,Biography of Diego Rivera. [online] Available at: [Accessed 25 February 2021].

Embracing Diversity. 2021. What Is Diversity And How I Define It In The Social Context - Embracing Diversity. [online] Available at: [Accessed 25 February 2021].

Encyclopedia Britannica. 2021. Jamaica - Cultural life. [online] Available at: [Accessed 25 February 2021].

Facts-about-mexico.com. 2021. Mexican Culture | Traditions, Legends, Art, Music. [online] Available at: [Accessed 25 February 2021].

Historyplex. 2021. The Incredibly Diverse Traditions and Cultures of Africa. [online] Available at: [Accessed 25 February 2021].

Jane Perkins. 2021. Profile. [online] Available at: [Accessed 24 February 2021].

Jovic, M., 2019. Diversity in Art: Has the Art World Become More Inclusive?. [online] Art Acacia Gallery. Available at: [Accessed 25 February 2021].

Resources.riches-project.eu. 2014. Tangible and intangible Cultural Heritage | RICHES Resources. [online] Available at: [Accessed 24 February 2021].

Sawe, B., 2018. The Culture Of The Philippines. [online] WorldAtlas. Available at: [Accessed 25 February 2021].

The National Library of Jamaica. 2021. Edna Manley (1900 – 1987). [online] Available at: [Accessed 24 February 2021].

Warpaths2peacepipes.com. 2012. Native American Clothing. [online] Available at: [Accessed 25 February 2021].

Wendy Red Star. 2021. About — Wendy Red Star. [online] Available at: [Accessed 25 February 2021].

1-54.com. 2021. 1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair. [online] Available at: [Accessed 25 February 2021].