May 16 – June 29, 2025
Events:
Opening Reception: Friday, May 16, 5 – 8 PM
Vauhini Vara Book Launch: Saturday, May 17, 5 – 7 PM (TICKETED)
Go West Artist Talk: Tuesday, June 10th, 5 – 8 PM (TICKETED)
Go West Film Screening: Monday, June 23rd DETAILS TO BE ANNOUNCED
Artists: Agnes Ma, Bala Thiagarajan, Christine Nguyen, Erin Hyunhee Kang, Jenie Gao, Joon Tajadod, Laila Vaziralli, Margaret Kasahara, Maki Teshima, Mattie Hanson, Sammy Seung-min Lee, Taiko Chandler
Guest Jurors: Gallerist, Rajiv Menon, and Art Advisor, Roseline Michael Neveling
The Dairy Arts Center is proud to present Go West, a group exhibition showcasing Asian American artists whose creative stories reflect the intersection of cultural heritage, innovation, and the pursuit of new beginnings in the American West.
“Go west, young man!” is a 19th-century rallying cry that once inspired dreams of opportunity and new beginnings in the American West. The phrase carries a complex legacy, symbolizing the ideals of exploration, ambition, and reinvention, while also bearing the stark and complex realities that came with this movement. The story of westward expansion has long been told as a romanticized tale of frontier adventure. Yet, the American West has always been a place of cultural convergence, built and shaped by a wide spectrum of communities.
For Asian American and Pacific Islanders (AAPI), migration from the global “East” to the American West has been a story of both opportunity and resilience. From early laborers and farmers to activists and entrepreneurs, AAPI communities have shaped the cultural and economic fabric of Colorado and the western states. Overcoming numerous challenges, they have built lasting communities and redefined what it means to call the West home. Their history is a vital part of the region.
The Go West exhibition provides a space for AAPI artists to explore and reflect on the diasporic experience—what it means to navigate bicultural and cross-cultural identities, and how this shapes their sense of home, belonging, and self-expression within the context of migration and cultural fusion. As guest juror Rajiv Menon notes, “Go West encapsulates the ongoing search for new lands and ways of living that have defined so many lives. For Asian Americans with roots in the ‘East,’ the West is not merely a destination, but a concept that is being continuously reinterpreted and reimagined.”
With mediums ranging from metalsmithing and 3D printing to printmaking and photography, the artists in Go West have created technically and conceptually compelling works that explore a wide range of issues—from immigration and expansion to climate change and cultural heritage. Their works challenge expectations and reimagine relationships: tradition and innovation, local and global, familiar and alien, journey and destination.
Guest juror Roseline Michael Neveling observes, “Colorado itself—its light, its vastness, its spirit of possibility—seems to find its way into the creative process. There is a boldness to these works, a sense that in this place, new ideas can take root and thrive.” The artworks in Go West share powerful stories that embody the resilience, grace, and strength of the AAPI community, and these artists affirm the power of art to amplify diverse cultural narratives and bridge societal divides.