Abstract
The Pacific Coast of the United States, especially California, defines much of its identity in the public imagination through the sport and cultural formations of surfing. Throughout its history, this identity has been almost exclusively associated with white men as the accepted standard bearers of surfing’s evolution and excellence. This narrative runs parallel to the larger political and social discourses of Whiteness and racialized exclusion in American society that persist to this day. “Decolonize The Surf- The Ocean as Contested Space in Surf Culture,” explores the history of racism and representation in the formation of the so-called “California Dream” of surfing, presenting research that examines its complicity in perpetuating legacies of racism and white supremacy. The project encourages a reckoning, reevaluation, and dialogue throughout surf culture, while illuminating contemporary efforts to reimagine greater diversity, equity, agency, and inclusion. Decolonize The Surf is designed to engage and educate, its content structure and style utilizing surfing’s colloquial vernacular and situational milieu. It deploys popular forms of digital media technologies to break down barriers of access to the forums of scholarly communication and research embedded throughout the project. Decolonize The Surf is a multivalent synthesis of research, scholarship, art and embodied experience, standing as a contemporary expression of academic and public-facing knowledge production. As museums expand their definitions of purpose, meaning, pedagogy and curatorial scope as sites of investigation and leaders of culture, Decolonize The Surf offers a valuable opportunity to enhance discoverability, outreach, access, and the dynamics of visitor learning and participation.
Presenters
David CrellinPhD(c)- Performance Studies, MFA- Digital Arts New Media. Performing Artist, Scholar and Educator, Department of Theatre and Dance, UH Manoa, Decolonize The Surf, Hawaii, United States
Details
Presentation Type
Theme
2023 Special Focus—Museum Transformations: Pathways to Community Engagement
KEYWORDS
Access, Digital Divide, Commons, Diversity, Discoverability, Technology, Community
