THE VEIL

PRESS

Boulder Daily Camera
http://www.dailycamera.com/news/2008/may/01/cover-story-first-friday-and-beyond/

First Friday and beyond: Boulder art galleries go big in May
By Vince Darcangelo
Thursday, May 1, 2008

The Dairy's next opening is on May 16, featuring the exhibits "Once Upon a Playground," "WET" and "The Veil: Visible and Invisible Spaces."

The latter, curated by local writer Jennifer Heath, features a month's worth of special programming, including short films, a dance performance, an outdoor installation and a musical performance themed around the veil.

"The veil, to most of us, implies Arabic and Muslim culture," Saltzman says. "('The Veil') is 30 different artists who have different interpretations of the veil and what it means to them."

Heath's vision extends far beyond mere fabric. While the show addresses the traditional veils of the Islamic world -- such as a short film created by Tulu Bayar, a Turkish artist -- it also features conceptual pieces, such as Indian filmmaker Shakuntala Kulkarni's "Confinement," a five-minute film of the artist locked in her closet. Other pieces include a series of butterfly wings under micah put together by local artist Rebecca DiDomenico and "Molting," a large outdoor fabric installation by Sue Hammond West representing "the continuous alteration of the veil," according to a press release on the show.

"We're trying to touch on the ubiquitousness of the veil," Heath says. "It's not just a Muslim thing."

On June 14, Heath will moderate a panel discussion, "What is Hidden: Revelations of Veiled Communities," addressing Colorado's less visible populations, including the American Indian, African-American and immigrant communities.

On June 18, Heath will be part of a book discussion and signing for "The Veil: Women Writers on its History, Lore and Politics," an anthology she edited that will be published this summer by the University of California Press. The book features four local contributors -- Heath, Michelle Auerbach, Shireen Malik and Dinah Zeiger -- all of whom will participate in the book discussion and signing.

Following the Dairy's exhibit of "The Veil," the show begins a five-year trek across the country, including stops in Arkansas, Milwaukee, Connecticut, Indiana and New York. But for now, "The Veil" is staying close to home and adding to an exciting month of art events in Boulder.