The Goldmark Cultural Center’s Norman Brown Gallery is proud to present They Didn’t Know We Were Seeds, an exhibition of new works by Tina Medina, including interwoven mixed media, photographic, and fiber pieces, exploring the contributions of families to the development of American land, economy, and culture.
They Didn’t Know We Were Seeds is on display at the Norman Brown Gallery from 13 August 2021 to 10 September 2021. Regular visiting hours are 11am - 5pm on weekdays. A closing reception will be held at the Norman Brown Gallery on Saturday, 4 September 2021, from 2pm to 5pm.
Growing up my father told us colorful stories from his childhood about traveling the United States as a migrant worker with his family. They picked crops of different vegetables and fruits that eventually made their way to American dining tables. Contemplating my father and his family’s contributions makes me wonder in awe at the millions of other families who have anonymously contributed to and helped build this country.
My newest works exhibited in “They Didn’t Know We Were Seeds” are about the contributions of families, especially women and children to the cultivation of the lands, economies and culture of the United States. The expression, “They tried to bury us. They didn’t know we were seeds.”, mostly used as an activist cry, expresses the feelings of black and brown families whose physical hard labor of the past and today continues to be overlooked as the roots of the success of our country.
The seeds planted were not only those for produce, but also were seeds of hopes and dreams for families to make a better life in the U.S. Those families’ next generations of children grew up as citizens of the country who continue to contribute on various levels to the economy, culture and identity of the U.S.
Artworks included in the exhibition are small intimate interwoven and painted photographs, embroidery and watercolor mixed media pieces.
As a woman of Mexican indigenous ancestry born in the United States, I am compelled to make art that speaks about current issues by representing the point of view of immigrants and people of color. The struggles and continued barriers people of color endure in the US motivates me to create works from the viewpoint of those who have suffered racism, bigotry and xenophobia. Part of the experience I portray is how we try to place ourselves within a historical context that was never meant to include us.
My inspiration comes from cultural history and identity, including gender, ethnicity, nationality, ancestry and class. I find it necessary to revisit the history of the US to remind ourselves how the past informs and shapes the present. Our past and present history influence how we perceive others and even how we perceive ourselves.
Using found materials, sewing, fibers, and assemblage I explore juxtapositions of history with cultural symbols to reflect the narratives of those whose stories are left untold.
-Tina Medina, 2021
Tina Medina is a visual artist and professor of art at Mountain View campus, Dallas College. Born and raised in West Texas, Medina earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree at Texas Tech University and Master of Fine Arts degree at the University of North Texas. Medina’s art has been exhibited nationally in exhibits such as Immigration, Migration, Movement & The Humanities at Arizona State University. Most recently her work was selected to be showcased in Arte Latino Now 2021, a virtual exhibit for the Center for Latino Studies at Queens University Charlotte in NC, and selected for Changarrito Artist of the Month 2021 Virtual Residency for Mexic-Arte Museum in Austin, Texas. Medina has curated several exhibits including Contemporary Latino American Artists of the Metroplex and ELLA: Exhibiting Local Latina Artists at the Dallas Latino Cultural Center. She was a member of the oldest artist run co-op in Texas, 500X Gallery and has served on various City of Dallas Public Art Committees.
She lives with her family in the Oak Cliff neighborhood of Dallas.