Idea Statement

Exhibition Title: Mexican Magic: Festival Images by George O. Jackson, Jr.
Submitted by: William Merrill, Curator of Anthropology, NMNH
Date: March 9, 2004

BACKGROUND. Mexican Magic: Festival Images by George O. Jackson, Jr. is an exhibition of 150 color photographs of the religious festivals of over 60 Indigenous communities from across Mexico, taken between 1990 and 2001 by the Texas-based photographer George O. Jackson, Jr. The exhibition provides an unparalleled view of the diversity of Indigenous Mexican festivals at the turn of the 21st century and of the complex interaction of Indigenous and European religious traditions out of which these festivals emerged. Assuming that a NMNH venue is approved, it will contribute to furthering our mission of providing our visitors a more profound understanding and appreciation of the world’s cultural diversity.

Mr. Jackson is widely regarded as one of the most accomplished photographers of Mexican ceremonial life today, and his images are both compellingly beautiful and of great ethnographic significance. He has selected, from the more than 100,000 photographs of Mexican festivals that he has produced, a sample of the images that are of greatest aesthetic quality and ethnographic import. These are included on the CD that accompanies this idea statement. They also are available on a website that Mr. Jackson has created to facilitate the NMNH review process.

Mr. Jackson will collaborate with Drs. Robert Laughlin and William Merrill, NMNH’s two Mexican ethnology curators, to produce a version of this exhibition especially for our museum. Together they will prepare the texts for the exhibition, plan the public programming that will complement it, and design and implement a strategy to develop the required funding for it. They also are contemplating producing a scholarly catalog.

DETAILS. The exhibition includes images of Indigenous festivals from across Mexico and is organized into five sections, each corresponding to a region of Mexico. The total of 150 photographs includes 30 photographs from each region. Because of diversity of Mexico’s Indigenous societies, each region includes many distinct societies that differ dramatically from one another and from the societies in other regions in both cultural traditions and language. Although the total number of photographs in the exhibition could be reduced, a smaller sample would not convey as effectively this diversity.

SPACE RQUIREMENTS. A space of 600 linear feet is required to display the exhibition, including both text and the 150 photographs (the average dimensions of the framed photographs are 26" x 36"). In discussions with Joe Madeira, I understand that Halls 11 and 25 will be converted into temporary exhibit spaces that could accommodate this exhibition.

PROPOSED DATES. The ideal opening date for the exhibition at NMNH would be October 1, 2005. This date falls at the mid-point of Hispanic Heritage Month (September 15- October 15) and allows us sufficient time to fine-tune the exhibition for a NMNH venue, secure the funding to stage it, and develop a series of complementary public programming activities. If, however, appropriate space is not available at this time, a later date will be acceptable.

LINKAGES. If approved, this exhibition will be a central component of the 2005 calendar of activities of NMNH’s new US-Mexico Program, which involves SI staff members from across the Institution as well as scholars from other Washington-area institutions. In addition, because of the exhibit theme and the fact that Mr. Jackson is Mexican-American, it will provide a significant opportunity to enhance the collaborative relationship between NMNH and the Smithsonian Center for Latino Initiatives.