Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

Underrepresented Voices Resonate in Arts and Culture

Underrepresented++Voices+Resonate+in+Arts+and+Culture

Fall 2017 and spring 2018 were milestones for minority representation in art and entertainment, with creatives from a variety of ethnic backgrounds, genders, sexual identities and upbringings making their voices heard. Here, The Guide takes a look at some of the year’s best pieces of art and entertainment from diverse viewpoints.

BROCKHAMPTON

Music: “BROCKHAMPTON at the Fillmore Silver Spring”

Texas rap group BROCKHAMPTON took the internet by storm in 2017 with its intricate production, diverse array of lyrical styles and bold assertions of black and LGBTQ pride. BROCKHAMPTON member Kevin Abstract owned the stage at his Jan. 28 appearance at the Fillmore Silver Spring, confidently proclaiming that “not enough n—-s rappin’ be gay.”

HINDS

Music: “I Don’t Run”

Released this spring, “I Don’t Run,” the second album by Madrid-based indie rock girl group Hinds, dwells in irony, managing to be simultaneously fun, serious, guarded, sensitive, confident and insecure. The album is packed with airy guitar riffs and echoing vocals, and its closing track, “Ma Nuit,” is written in Spanish, French and English.

LIONSGATE

Movies: “Wonder”

“Wonder” depicts the story of Auggie Pullman, a boy with craniofacial differences, as he begins fifth grade after years of home schooling. Confronted with bullying, Pullman presents an inspiring picture of resilience in the face of adversity.

SCOTT RUDIN PRODUCTIONS

Movies: “Lady Bird”

“Lady Bird” highlights the teenage years of a young woman named Lady Bird. The film is the directorial debut of Greta Gerwig, and her masterpiece garnered her two Academy Award nominations, including one for best director, making her the fifth female director in history to be nominated. The recognition of women both on screen and behind the scenes of “Lady Bird” was refreshing in an Oscar’s season during the prominent #MeToo movement, which empowers women to speak up against discrimination and sexual misconduct.

3 ARTS ENTERTAINMENT

Television: “Master of None”

The second season of “Master of None,” Aziz Ansari and Alan Yang’s award-winning comedic drama, was released in summer 2017 to widespread acclaim. Revolving primarily around the joys and pains of love and relationships, the episodes also touch on the experiences of Asian immigrants and members of the LGBTQ community in the United States.

FILE PHOTO: WILL CROMARTY/THE HOYA

Theater: “Lathe of Heaven”

Written first as a novel by Ursula Le Guin and adapted for the theater by Natsu Onoda Power, a professor in Georgetown’s theater and performance studies program, “Lathe of Heaven” tackles topics of race, gender and political instability. The production was featured in the D.C. Women’s Voices Theater Festival this winter.

FILE PHOTO: ANNA KOVACEVICH/THE HOYA

Dance: “Exodus”

After the white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Va., the directors of Black Movement Dance Theatre were inspired to begin planning “Exodus,” which used dance to depict the experiences of displaced people throughout the history of the United States. The Feb. 16 and 17 performances highlighted the tumultuous emotions of both historic oppression of black people and the marginalization taking place in the present day.

FILE PHOTO: DANI GUERRERO/THE HOYA

Art: “Before the 45th: Action/Reaction in Chicano and Latino Art”

“Before the 45th: Action/Reaction in Chicano and Latino Art” was an art exhibition at the Mexican Cultural Institute that looked at the last 40 years of Chicanx and Latinx sociological, educational and financial experiences. The exhibit introduced the District to a new perspective on the lives of these groups. Symbols, stereotypes and satire exist in the exhibit to depict the Chicanx and Latinx experiences from a fresh perspective.

FILE PHOTO: RYAN BAE/THE HOYA

Fashion: “Diamante Fashion Show”

Gaston Hall hosted a celebration of fashion and art in the form of the Diamante Fashion Show on Feb. 23. Under the premise “diamonds are formed under pressure,” the show encouraged the audience to consider the various divides that society creates and the ways in which art can unify the human experience through expression of ethnic identity and feminist ideals.

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