T
his
is an exhibition featuring only a few of the many talented and creative residents from Indiana's urban northwest, whose stories and lives express regional, communal, and personal meaning. Our creative lives and work lives sometimes diverge. As welder David Castro from East Chicago jokes, his 60-hour a week "side-job" gives him the opportunity to pursue his real passion -- preserving Latino cultural heritage. For retired firefighter Milan Opacich, time spent waiting for a fire emergency gave him the opportunity to shape wood into musical instruments in his Gary Fire House basement workshop.
B
ut creativity and regular work need not be at odds. For some, the 40-hour workweek is an expression of creativity and passion. We feel the stories of the Calumet Region residents represented here demonstrate that the pursuit of a meaningful life is a common denominator of being human, as we all seek some means of creative expression, connecting us with our families, neighborhoods and world.
Support for this exhibition is provided by the Indiana Humanities Council, Indiana Historical Society, Traditional Arts Indiana, the Indiana Arts Commission, and the Indiana University Folklore Insitute.
