{"id":169357,"date":"2026-02-08T15:41:08","date_gmt":"2026-02-08T15:41:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/169357\/"},"modified":"2026-02-08T15:41:08","modified_gmt":"2026-02-08T15:41:08","slug":"at-central-library-a-new-exhibit-examines-our-interconnectedness-through-textile-san-diego-union-tribune","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/169357\/","title":{"rendered":"At Central Library, a new exhibit examines our interconnectedness through textile \u2013 San Diego Union-Tribune"},"content":{"rendered":"

\""Exotic<\/a>\u201cExotic 1\u201d (2024; oil on canvas) by Chitra Gopalakrishnan (San Diego Library)<\/p>\n

In the Curator\u2019s Words\u00a0is an occasional series that takes a critical look at current exhibitions through the eyes of curators.<\/p>\n

The San Diego Public Library isn\u2019t just all about books. It also has a robust visual arts program.<\/p>\n

According to Bonnie Domingos, who oversees the library\u2019s arts and culture exhibitions, it\u2019s \u201cdedicated to providing access and connection to the arts and culture landscape in San Diego while providing visible opportunities for local and regional artists.\u201d<\/p>\n

The library offers rotating exhibitions at many of the city\u2019s 35 branches. Between now and April 18, a new exhibition focusing on textile is on view at the Central Library\u2019s Judith Harris Art Gallery.<\/p>\n

Domingos took some time to talk about the exhibition, titled \u201cM(other) Tongue.\u201d<\/p>\n

Q: Give us your elevator pitch for this new exhibition at the Central Library?\u00a0<\/p>\n

A: \u201cM(other) Tongue\u201d brings together artists who reference textile in examining the interconnected experiences of migration, displacement and cultural inheritance. Drawing on textile traditions rooted in women\u2019s domestic and communal practices, the works approach stitching, weaving and dyeing as forms of mark making; methods of carrying ancestral stories across borders and generations. In \u201cM(other) Tongue,\u201d textiles become both archive and language, expressing the tensions of uprooting and the desire to remain connected to one\u2019s past. Each piece invites viewers to reflect on how identity is continually woven from personal narratives, shared histories and the ongoing work of becoming.<\/p>\n

Q: Where did the idea for this exhibit come from?\u00a0<\/p>\n

A: Remembering is a form of honoring, and I wanted to present a show that explored the emotional complexities of belonging \u2014 or not belonging \u2014 to multiple places at once. I was also thinking about oral histories, collective memory and access to stories and how these are translated into traditional modes of folk art and craft. In thinking about this show within the context of the library and our agency in preserving narratives, I wanted to present a contemporary art show on the traumas of migration and displacement, and the essence of being uprooted and replanted.<\/p>\n

Q: What was the most interesting thing you learned as a curator when you were putting this exhibition together?\u00a0<\/p>\n

A: Kristyn Hom has a piece in the show called \u201cMeiguo,\u201d and I learned from her the word \u201cmiguk\u201d \u2014 in Korean, it means \u201cbeautiful country.\u201d Hom uses this direct quote from poet Monica Youn, who, in \u201cDetail of the Rice Chest,\u201d writes:<\/p>\n

\u201cMiguk is a transliteration of the Chinese characters meiguo, which also mean \u2018beautiful country\u2019 \u2026. Korean people and Chinese people must call America beautiful in order to speak its name.\u201d<\/p>\n

Q: Any logistical challenges?<\/p>\n

A: No real logistical concerns as all the works were created within the last two years, but Shirin Towfiq has an outstanding piece \u201cLooking for a Sign,\u201d which is a massive 8-foot-by-25-foot curtain that is comprised of hand-sewn black cardamom tea bags in gold thread. It is a quiet and solemn piece that exerts so much power when viewing. Although this piece would not fit in the gallery, we will be showing a scaled-down version of its relative.<\/p>\n

Q: What do you hope the viewer takes away from this show?\u00a0<\/p>\n

A: I hope the viewer reflects on our understanding of the self and the surrounding world; the totality of shared experiences and ideas; and the complexities of art to communicate, wonder, affirm or disagree.<\/p>\n

I also hope that it leaves viewers with an appreciation for art\/cultural spaces that are crucial in collectivity and coalition building. Unique spaces, like libraries, create meaningful ways humans can exist in relation to art and that libraries are at the core of providing for the well-being of individuals and communities.<\/p>\n

\""Time<\/a>\u201cTime Spilled, Time Gathered\u201d (2025; found fabrics, velvet, lace, gold chain, charms, photo prints, marquetry) by Shirin Towfiq. (San Diego Library)
\nSan Diego Central Library presents \u201cM(other) Tongue\u201d<\/p>\n

When: Through April 18<\/p>\n

Where: Judith Harris Art Gallery, San Diego Central Library, 330 Park Blvd., San Diego<\/p>\n

Admission: Free<\/p>\n

Phone: 619-238-6690<\/p>\n

Online: sandiego.gov\/public-library\/visualarts<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"\u201cExotic 1\u201d (2024; oil on canvas) by Chitra Gopalakrishnan (San Diego Library) In the Curator\u2019s Words\u00a0is an occasional…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":169358,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[28],"tags":[7,5196,967,181,74,84,76,75,420,18740],"class_list":{"0":"post-169357","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-san-diego","8":"tag-california","9":"tag-downtown-san-diego","10":"tag-entertainment","11":"tag-latest-headlines","12":"tag-san-diego","13":"tag-san-diego-county","14":"tag-san-diego-headlines","15":"tag-san-diego-news","16":"tag-things-to-do","17":"tag-visual-arts"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/169357","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=169357"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/169357\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/169358"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=169357"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=169357"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=169357"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}