Participatory exhibit looks at American identity

Gail McCarthy, Gloucester Daily Times, Mass.
·2 min read

Aug. 13—A special exhibition, "American Flags," opening this weekend at Cape Ann Museum Green explores the mosaic of identities that make up the United States.

"In a country where political discourse is growing ever more polarized, this project encourages discussion about awareness of and empathy for the many different people that make up our great nation," says the museum in its exhibition statement. "The work celebrates those differences and what they bring to America through a series of American flags built from marks left by these different people. These flags are intended to encourage those who see them to stop and contemplate how our actions affect each other and to feel patriotic about the complex nation that we're all building together."

"American Flags" is an exhibition of works by Tim Ferguson Sauder, an artist, designer and professor in the practice of design at Olin College of Engineering.

As part of this exhibition, Sauder worked with the CAM Teen Council to create both indoor and outdoor participatory art installations and projects that promote conversation around American identity. These installations will kick off during the exhibit's opening day on Saturday, Aug. 13 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

"The museum is delighted to again present the work of Tim Sauder," said Oliver Barker, Cape Ann Museum director. "We displayed his work at the White-Ellery House in 2016, and when we saw how closely the participatory, community-sourced, underpinnings of 'Americans Flags' align closely with Cape Ann Museum's commitment to convening our community around art and ideas, we were delighted to welcome him back."

Sauder also has extensive experience producing graphic design work for corporate clients, consulting on visual communication with non-profits, creating public artwork and exploring how visual design affects views on sustainability. He is the founder of asmallpercent, a design studio, through which he has worked for a number of large clients like Google, Saucony, and Intel.

As a co-designer of the AccessibleIcon Project, Sauder's work is in the permanent collections of the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) and the Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum, both in New York City.

Programs related to this exhibition include:

"CAMTalks: Americans Flags" with Tim Sauder on Saturday, Aug. 27 at 1 p.m. at Cape Ann Museum Green, 13 Poplar St., Gloucester

Brazilian Independence Day Celebration on Sunday, Aug. 28 from 1 to 4 p.m. at the Cape Ann Museum downtown, at 27 Pleasant St., Gloucester

Indigenous Heritage Day on Saturday, Sept. 24 from noon to 4 p.m. at Cape Ann Museum Green, 13 Poplar St., Gloucester

The exhibition is open, free, to the public at the Cape Ann Museum Green. Hours are Fridays and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sundays from 1 to 4 p.m. Please note that parking at CAM Green is limited.