>> A MELTING OF POT OF CULTURAL
EXCHANGES ABPLACE WHERE IDEAS
AND FREEDOM SPOS PROSPER IN
AMERICA.
BUT SINCE THE PRESIDENTIAL
ELECTION THERE'S BEEN A PALPABLE
SHIFT IN PUBLIC OPINION THAT'S
GIVEN RISE TO INTOLERANCE AND
XENOPHOBIA ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
ONE ARTIST IS HOPING TO
CHALLENGE THE MISCONCEPTIONS AND
RESHAPE PERCEPTION OF WHAT IT
MEANS TO BE AMERICAN.
AS PART OF THE ONGOING
INITIATIVE CHASING THE TREEM
WHICH TACKLES POVERTY APPEAR
OPPORTUNITY IN AMERICA WE
INTRODUCE YOU TO ARTIST BETSY
ASHTON BRINGING TO US PORTRAITS
OF IMMIGRANTS, A COLLECTION OF
ART INSPIRED BY OUR NATION.
BETSY WELCOME TO THE PROGRAM.
>> MY PLEASURE TO BE HERE JENNA.
THANK YOU.
>> SO FIRST OF ALL WHAT DREW YOU
TO THIS?
BECAUSE WHAT I WAS SO INTRIGUED
BY AS I SAID IN THE INTROIS WHAT
IT MEANS TO BE AN AMERICAN.
>> WELL, IT'S WHAT HAPPENED WAS,
YOU KNOW, I ASPEN THE LAST 11
YEARS ON MY SECOND CAREER DOING
PORTRAITS OF THE RICH AND
ACCOMPLISHED AND IT WAS FUN.
I ENJOYED IT.
>> WE'RE USED TO SEEING POR
TRAITS OF THEM.
>> I LOVE PUSHING PAINT AND ALL
THAT.
BUT THEN THE ELECTION.
>> UM-HUM.
>> AND HERE I LIVE IN NEW YORK
CITY WHICH HAS THE GREATEST
NUMBER OF FOREIGN BORN PEOPLE OF
ANY CITY ON THE PLANET.
I'M HEARING ALL OF IN STUFF
COMING OUT ABOUT RAPIST AND
MURDERS.
AND IMMIGRANTS.
I'M SAYING THAT'S NOT ANYTHING
LIKE THE STORY.
BECAUSE I PROBABLY SEE HUNDREDS
OF IMMIGRANTS A DAY.
I LOVE AMONG THEM.
I WORK AMONG THEM.
AND I INTERACT WITH THEM.
AND THAT'S NOT THE STORY.
THE PEOPLE THAT I SEE ARE
CONTRIBUTING TO SOCIETY.
AND THIS IS JUST TRUE.
I LIVE HERE.
I SEE THEM.
AND IF THERE IS A LITTLE BIT
THAT'S PROBLEMATIC IT'S KIND OF
LIKE THAT FIT ON MY FINGERNAIL
THAT'S GOING TO BE TAKEN OFF.
BUT THE REST OF ME IS THE STORY.
AND SO I JUST DECIDED -- I WAS
ALSO SITTING IN CHURCH I MUST
SAY.
>> OH.
>> YOU KNOW THE BISHOP THAT GAVE
THE ROYAL SERMON AT THE WEDDING.
WELL I'M EPISCOPAL YAN I SIT
HEARING ABOUT GOD IS LOVE, LOVE
THY NEIGHBOR.
AND MY JOURNALISM BACKGROUND
WELLED UP AND I WAS TAUGHT TO
SEEK TRUTH AS I THINK MOST STILL
TODAY ARE.
AND I SAID, YOU KNOW I'VE GOT TO
DO THE STORY AS I SEE IT AND GO
OUT.
I'M GOING TO PAINT AND INTERVIEW
THE IMMIGRANTS BEGINNING WITH
THE PEOPLE THAT I KNOW.
>> OKAY.
>> AND SEE.
WHEN YOU'RE DOING THE PORTRAITS,
I'M WORNING WHAT IS IT YOU TRY
TO CAPTURE TO CONVEY?
BECAUSE ONE OF THE THINGS I
HEARD A LOT OF PEOPLE SAY IS
THAT PART OF THE PROBLEM IS THAT
SO MANY PEOPLE DON'T HAVE THAT
KIND OF INTIMATE RELATIONSHIP
WHERE THEY KNOW PEOPLE WHO ARE
FOREIGN-BORN IMMIGRANTS IN THE
COUNTRY.
AND SO IT'S EASIER TO BE AFRAID
OF WHAT YOU DON'T KNOW.
WHAT IS IT YOU'RE TRYING TO
CAPTURE WITH THE PORTRAITS.
>> I'M DOING PORTRAITS THAT ARE
LIFE SIZE AND THAT YOU'RE
LOOKING AT THEM SO PEOPLE CAN
WALK INTO THE GALLERY AND
COMMUNICATE.
AND SEE THE SPIRIT, YOU KNOW, I
REALLY GO FOR THE SPIRIT AND
CHARACTER AND SOUL OF A PERSON
WHEN I PAINT THEM.
FIRST OF ALL I DO A BIG
INTERVIEW.
TALK TO THEM AS LONG AS IT TAKES
TO GET THE BASIC STORY ABOUT
THEM.
AND I'M SKETCHING AT THE SAME
TIME.
I DO LIVE SKETCHE.
THEN I DO A BIG PHOTO SHOOT AND
TAKE HUNDREDS OF PHOTOS AND GO
BACK AND LOOK AT THE GESTURES
AND THINGS THAT REALLY SEEM TO
BRING OUT THAT PERSON'S
CHARACTER.
AND MY WHOLE POINT OF IN IS I'M
TRYING TO DO PEOPLE FROM
DIFFERENT COUNTRIES AND
CULTURES.
>> UM-HUM.
>> IT'S A MIX OF PEOPLE AND SOME
HAVE BEEN HERE TEN YEARS, 10
YEARS, 20 YEARS.
SOME JUST ARRIVED.
YOU GET A FEEL FOR WHO TODAY'S
IMMIGRANTS REALLY ARE.
THESE ARE THE PEOPLE.
THIS IS WHY THEY CAME HERE.
THIS IS WHAT GETTING HERE WAS
LIKE AND THE SETTLING IN WAS
LIKE WHICH IN SOME CASE WAS ARE
VERY DIFFICULT.
AND WHAT THEY HAVE DONE SINCE
AND WHO THEY ARE AND WHAT THEY
ARE CONTRIBUTING.
WHAT THEIR STRUGGLES, LOVES AND
BELIEVES.
AND I HAVE TO TELL YOU, THE
STORIES THAT I'M GETTING ARE AS
GOOD AS THE ONES THAT WE
CELEBRATE FROM YEARS PAST.
>> COULD YOU SEE IT MORE AS
POLITICAL STATEMENT OR IS THIS
MORE ABOUT THE ARTWORK OF THE
PORTRAITS?
WHICH -- DOES ONE WEIGH MORE
THAN THE OTHER FOR YOU.
>> WE'RE KIND OF SMUSHING ALL IT
ALTOGETHER.
BUT IT'S NOT INTENDED TO BE
POLITICAL.
I DIDN'T THINK THE STORY OF
GRIMES IN AMERICA WAS A TERRIBLY
POLITICAL STORY.
I SUPPOSE IT'S -- TLF ALWAYS
BEEN CASES WHERE IMMIGRANTS HAVE
BEEN NOT WELCOMED.
THE IRISH DIDN'T USE TO BE
WANTED.
AND THE ITALIANS AND WHATEVER.
>> YEAH.
>> TODAY I THINK AMERICANS WHO
DON'T LIVE AMONG IMMIGRANTS AS I
DO WOULD BE SURPRISED TO FIND
OUT THAT THEY ARE IN MANY WAYS
AS AMERICAN AS THEY ARE.
THAT THEY HAVE THE SAME HOPES,
SOME OF ENEMY CAME HERE FOR MORE
ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY BECAUSE THE
COUNTRIES THEY CAME FROM DON'T
HAVE IT.
SOME CAME TO HELP CHILDREN HAVE
MORE OPPORTUNITY.
SOME ACTUALLY WERE REFUGEES
FLEEING TERRIBLE STRIVE.
AND ECONOMIC COLLAPSE IN OTHER
PLACES.
AND SO THEY WILL FIND THAT I
THINK TODAY'S IMMIGRANTS ARE THE
SAME AS FWRINTS HAVE ALWAYS
BEEN.
>> LISTEN, BETSY THANK YOU SO
MUCH FOR THE SHOW.
>> THANK YOU FOR HELPING ME TO
BRING IT BEFORE THE PUBLIC.
>> ABSOLUTELY.
IF YOU'D LIKE TO CHECK OUT POR
TRAITS OF IMMIGRANTS PLEASE
VISIT METROFOCUS.ORG FOR MORE
DETAILS.
