CSUB-Frank Bidart Chair: Gala Knörr

As part of the Frank Bidart Chair, promoted by the Etxepare Basque Institute at California State University Bakersfield (CSUB), artist Gala Knörr spent a month in California from 2 April to 7 May.

Her work included lectures and public activities to raise awareness around the project ‘La luz que nunca se apaga’ and share the knowledge gained. ‘La luz que nunca se apaga’ is a project that explores the importance of raising awareness of women in the Basque diaspora. It reclaims their space within the Western imagination and shows how this universe, traditionally considered hypermasculine and violent, can be creatively reinterpreted.

This is based on cross-cultural exchange, a hybrid evolution, and a political reinterpretation that celebrates the visual legacy of women in the Basque diaspora through painting. It approaches this legacy from a feminist and contemporary perspective, enriching the narrative through these diverse influences

Main activities

22 April

Symposium organised by the Institute for Basque Studies at the Historical Research Centre in the Walter W. Stiern Library at CSU Bakersfield. Presentation on the project ‘La luz que nunca se apaga’ as a visual artist.

29 April

Lecture on art at Bakersfield College. Invited by Art Department Professor Ryan Rickard.

Frank Bidart Chair

Created in 2022 at the CSUB Institute for Basque Studies, the Frank Bidart chair is named after the American poet of Basque origin, a prominent literary figure and winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry, among other accolades. The fellowship provides exceptional flexibility, allowing for the development of both research projects and artistic creation.

This residency offers an opportunity for a vibrant environment of cultural and academic exchange.