The Golden Age

June 6– October 31, 2024

In the popular imagination of immigration to the United States, images of 19th-century Ellis Island are often placed front and center. As expressed through books, movies, and politics, a romantic notion exists of that era in American history. The underlying motivations of immigration to this country haven’t changed. People still come to this country for a better life and are willing to work hard to succeed. San Diego, as one of the busiest land border crossings in the world and port of entry for many immigrants, refugees, and asylees, is, in effect, a new Ellis Island.

This installation bridges the modern era and the romanticized past, presenting contemporary portraits of foreign-born San Diegans. These portraits, painstakingly created to evoke the aesthetic of 19th-century photographs, are a testament to the enduring human spirit that transcends time. The images are printed using a unique process replicating that look of aged tintypes and wet collodion prints from that bygone era, further emphasizing the connection between the past and the present.  The portraits, are displayed in artist-collected antique frames, invite the audience to reflect on the shared history and experiences of past and present.

The Golden Age is part of The New Colossus: A Photographic Celebration of San Diego’s Immigrant Communities, a City-wide exhibition series conceived of by artist and photographer John Raymond Mireles as part of the City’s Exposure Photo Fellowship. The Golden Age and The New Colossus is on view through October 31, 2024.

For More information, to explore the City-wide exhibitions, and TRANSLATION, visit: sandiego.gov/exposurefellowship

Exhibition Series: 

Homage, Vien Dong, and Colonnade I  City Administration Building Breezeway and Lobby 
In Their Own Words: Rancho Peñasquitos Branch Library
Main Street USA: City Heights/Weingart Branch Library
The Golden Era: College-Rolando Branch Library
Colonnade II: Pacific Beach Taylor Branch Library
Colonnade III: Valencia Park/Malcolm X Branch Library
Duality: San Ysidro Branch Library 
Individual Photo: Point Loma/Hervey Branch Library
Individual Photo: Linda Vista Branch Library
Individual Photo: University Community Library

The 2023 - 2024 Exposure fellowship is supported in part by the National Endowment for the Arts