WSU Faculty Lecture Series

About the event

Curating Creole: Gender, Race, and The Creole Historic Exhibit of 1885-86

The term Creole has been used to describe people, food, music, literature, and other cultural traditions. Originally denoting someone “born in the colony” in colonial societies primarily across the Caribbean and Gulf South, many people today associate Creole with Louisiana’s mix of cultures. Within Louisiana, it can also signify family and ancestral connections to the region. Erin’s presentation will explore how the meaning of Creole changed over time, particularly in the late nineteenth century when some elite White Creoles sought to define the term along racial lines. It will focus on the often-overlooked role of women in shaping White Creole identity through art and material culture, using the 1885-86 Creole Historic Exhibit held in New Orleans as a case study to better understand how ideas about race, culture, and inclusion were represented and preserved. Erin also promises to answer all of your burning questions about her favorite things to do and eat in New Orleans.

Bio: Erin Hvizdak is a Humanities Librarian at Washington State University. She holds MA degrees in History and Women’s Studies and Gender Studies, and a Master of Library and Information Science. She has published and presented research on information literacy, research anxiety, ethics in digital environments, and on the intersections of gender, race, and visual culture. In 2021 she completed a book on the 125-year history of the Woman’s Club of Evanston (Illinois) and recently completed a year-long research sabbatical in New Orleans, with funding provided by the WSU David G. Pollart Center for Arts and Humanities.