About
ReflectSpace at the Glendale Central Library opened in 2017 when the library reopened after a major renovation. It came at the behest of The Glendale City Council for a city space to address the Armenian Genocide and other human atrocities. ReflectSpace is an exhibition space designed to explore and reflect on genocides, human and civil rights violations. Immersive in conception, ReflectSpace is a hybrid space that exhibits contemporary art as well as archives, employing installation, technology and interactive media to engage viewers on an emotional and personal level. ReflectSpace strives to reflect the past and present of Glendale’s communal fabric and interrogate current-day global human rights issues.
ReflectSpace is an inclusive exhibition space. It has explored the Armenian Genocide, presenting personal as well as reflective narratives, Asian comfort women, slavery, Holocaust, Native American, LGBTQ issues, Japanese internment, immigration, the US prison industrial complex. With a focus on Glendale as well as an international perspective, ReflectSpace will continue to delve into contemporary issues like displacement, borders, violence in society and other large human rights issues.
ReflectSpace is an intimate experiential space for reflection and exploration. At times it is immersive, at other times disorienting and yet at other times overwhelming. But it is always engaging.
ReflectSpace is a member of the International Coalition of Sites of Conscience, a global network of historic sites, museums, and memory initiatives that connect past struggles to today's movements for human rights.
The approach is intimate. Emphasis is placed on the witness narrative: who saw, wrote, spoke or has been most directly affected. But also their descendant communities who still live with the aftermath. The narratives unfold through multiple technologies--projection, interactive media and immersive sound design--and multiple disciplines of thought and arts.
ReflectSpace also presents installation art and engages with the archives, books and texts in the library in which it exists.
Glendale Library, Arts & Culture Founded in 1907, the Glendale Library, Arts & Culture Department comprises eight neighborhood libraries including the Brand Library & Art Center, a regional visual arts and music library and performance venue housed in the historic 1904 mansion of Glendale pioneer Leslie C. Brand, and the Central Library, a 93,000 square foot center for individuals and groups to convene, collaborate and create. The department also serves as the chief liaison to the Glendale Arts and Culture Commission which works to continually transform Glendale into an ever-evolving arts destination. Glendale Library, Arts & Culture is supported in part through the efforts of the Glendale Library, Arts & Culture Trust. For more information visit GlendaleLAC.org, or contact Library, Arts & Culture at (818) 548-2021 or via email at LibraryInfo@GlendaleCA.gov.
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Ara Oshagan is multi-disciplinary artist and curator working in photography, collage, public art and video.
Anahid Oshagan is an attorney, social activist and curator.
The Glendale Library, Arts & Culture Trust was created in 2019 to support the Glendale Central Library. The Trusts's mission is to strengthen the Glendale Library, Arts & Culture Department through advocacy, financial support, and volunteer services. The Trust organizes fundraisers to strengthen the public’s investment in the Library by bridging the gap between the cost of superior service, resources, and programs, and what the city provides. It also advocates for strong and permanent local public funding; and champions of the value of the Library in our community.
The Trust is a major supporter of ReflectSpace and its programming.