Natalia Purchiaroni, a second-year MFA candidate in Photography, had never curated an art exhibition before having the idea for what would become The Myth of the American Dream, now on view in the Stella Elkins Tyler Gallery this July.

Over the last 10 years, Purchiaroni has observed more and more people—across all political affiliations—begin to ask questions about how much the American government protects and serves its citizens. She has noticed that an increasingly large number of conversations with peers, family members, and even in professional and academic settings, center around the state of the nation and the anxieties about it. 

“Many people feel as though this is becoming, if not already is, a pivotal moment in the history of the United States,” she said. “There is no bigger myth in America than that of the American Dream, in my opinion.” 

Jackie Neale, Bullet the Blue Sky

The American Dream is the widely believed concept that equal opportunity is available to all Americans, and that one just has to seize that opportunity through hard work in order to achieve the highest aspirations and goals.  

In her own artistic practice, Purchiaroni has been inspired by Austrian art historian Aiols Riegl’s idea of kunstwollen and zeitgeist. She explained, “Kunstwollen, often translated into ‘the will to art,’ is the idea that the zeitgeist—the general mood of a specific period in time—commands artists to make work that problem-solves or reflects the contemporaneity of their time.” 

As Purchiaroni saw people all around her sharing their feelings about the current American zeitgeist, she had the idea to curate a show about the subject. She also cites John F. Kennedy’s 1962 speech on arts and politics at the Kennedy Center, during the social tumult of that time, as a source of inspiration for the show, especially the line, “Art is political in the most profound sense, not as a weapon in the struggle, but as an instrument of understanding of the futility of struggle between those who share man’s faith.”  

“The idea of the show is to get people talking about where they stand on the subject, to be able to share diverse perspectives and views, in order to spark conversation around this all-encompassing myth related to our current American crisis,” Purchiaroni said.  

Byron Wolfe and Mark Klett, Sixty-six years after Edward Weston’s “Storm, Arizona” From the Marble Canyon Trading Post. Left: Edward Weston, 1941, Storm, Arizona. (Courtesy of the Center for Creative Photography, Tucson, AZ)

There are more than 50 pieces in the show, ranging in mediums including photography, sculpture, fibers, painting, and ceramics. The pieces are connected by each artist’s relationship with the idea of the American Dream; the exhibition is a nuanced collection of perspectives on ideals such as upward mobility, prosperity, individualism, and other elements that make up the American Dream. Participating artists include Byron Wolfe, Professor of Photography and Art Department Chair; Erin Boyle, Assistant Director of Academic Enrichment Programs and Adjunct Assistant Professor of Foundations; Amy Ritter BFA '09 and Yaqeen Yamani MFA '24.  

“There are 23 artists in the show; some decided to simply document others’ perspectives on the ideology, and some decided on a direct representation of themselves in their work,” Purchiaroni explained. Each artist also prepared a statement to accompany their work in the show, which visitors can view with a QR code as they explore the exhibition.  

Ari Zuaro, No Takeaway

Purchiaroni said she was always interested in curating, and while this first experience came with surprises and challenges, she found she loved it even more than she expected. 

“I would like to think of myself as a very organized person, but curating tested my abilities more than I thought it would have,” she said. “There is so much that goes into putting together a show, and even now, while it is hung and showing, I am planning where the show can go from here.”  

 

Top left: Erin Boyle, Grandma Told Me, This Was the Dream; Top right: Kalena Marshall Garcia, Untitled; Bottom: Gordon Wenzel

The Myth of the American Dream is on view at the Stella Elkins Tyler Gallery through July 26, 2024. There will be a closing reception on July 26, 2024, from 5–8 p.m. 

Image: Derek Resse, PBJ