Del Rio Council for the Arts press release
Beginning Friday August 1 at the Firehouse, Del Rio Council for the Arts will present “State
Fair,” an exhibition produced by the Dolph Briscoe Center for American History at The
University of Texas at Austin, presented in partnership with Humanities Texas, the state affiliate
of the National Endowment for the Humanities.
“State Fair” is a visual distillation of Arthur Grace’s photographic odyssey through fairs in ten
states—California, Colorado, Florida, Indiana, Kansas, Minnesota, North Carolina, Ohio, Texas,
and Virginia.
Time and again, regardless of geographical location, Grace’s images deftly
capture the strange mixture of the traditional, the kitsch, and the off-the-wall that is unique to
these annual gatherings, which began as a celebration of rural American life and have evolved
into super-sized extravaganzas.
Whether the photographs show the beaming pride of 4-H egg
champions, the intensity of a tattooed arm wrestler, or a forlorn alligator waiting to be
“wrestled” in a wading pool, the authenticity of Grace’s imagery is unmistakable.
The exhibition will be available to the public from August 1 to 30.
For more information about
viewing hours or to arrange group visits, contact Nancy OBrien, Executive Director at 830
775-0888.
Humanities Texas develops and supports diverse programs across the state, including lectures,
oral history projects, teacher institutes, museum exhibitions and documentary films.
For more information, please visit Humanities Texas online at http://www.humanitiestexas.org or call 512.440.1991.
