This exhibition touches on the eerily contemporary issues Dorothea Lange photographed nearly a century ago—mass migrancy and shelterlessness, catastrophic climate change, and internment. It features two distinct experiences: an exhibition and live theater.
Coinciding with the 90th anniversary of the Works Progress Administration (WPA), Last West uplifts current movements for dignity in the lives of migrant populations upon which California’s robust economy and agriculture depend. The exhibition presents Lange’s iconic as well as rarely seen California images, putting artifacts of her documentary work in dialogue with contemporary works by artists Erik Castro, Warren Chang, Lewis deSoto, Bruce Haley, Ken Light, Hung Liu, Narsiso Martinez, Joel Daniel Phillips, and others.
LAST WEST ROADSONGS FOR DOROTHEA LANGE
The live theater experience with video projections is based on the book Last West: Roadsongs for Dorothea Lange (2020), written by Tess Taylor, directed by Ciera Eis, with video projections by Ryan Yu. Set against an immersive projection of moving, collaged Lange images, five actors tell the story of Lange’s life and journeys, helping us see how Dorothea Lange’s journeys might help us understand our own.
Public Performances: November 7, 8, 9 / December 6, 7.
Free Student Matinees November 7 & December 5.
General Tickets: $32
“World Premiere” Tickets: $52
All theater tickets include Museum admission and entry to the accompanying exhibition Last West: Dorothea Lange’s California Revisited.
Exhibition Sponsors
Anonymous
Kimberly & Simon Blattner
Mary & James Brown
Diana Bugg & Jim Bertlesman
James Cowan & William Taylor
Betsy Dixon
Nancy Fee
Anna Francis
Sara Green
Jeanne Walker Harvey
Cherie & Keith Hughes
Pat Meier-Johnson & Russell Johnson
Robert Mailer Anderson & Nicola Miner
Scott Nichols Gallery
Jean Olivieri & Janet Boyle
Alan J. Pomerantz & Evie Talmus
Judi Ratto
The Schreiner Family
Elaine & Graham Smith
Dana Simpson-Stokes & Ken Stokes
David L. and Claudia Chittenden Trust & Meta Strauss
Charlotte Tracy