The Asian Connection
Breaking the Barriers
Asian-Pacific Americans in Tennis
Chapter Two: The Asian Connection/2014
As a follow up to the highly successful 2011 Breaking the Barriers exhibit honoring African-American achievements in tennis, USTA Colorado returns with Breaking the Barriers 2.0 celebrating local Asian Pacific American tennis pioneers, contributors and rising stars in honor of Asian Heritage Month.
The Portrait Series is tennis art in motion. To play tennis, there is technique, form and skill, which is a form of art in itself. Former photojournalist and Pulitzer prize-winning local photographer Barry Gutierrez debuted a collection of portraits as a visual journey, inspired by the elements — fire, water, air and earth — with tennis players performing magical feats.
The Breaking the Barriers 2.0: Asian Connection Portrait Series enjoyed a five-week run at Denver International Airport’s Jeppesen Terminal. The exhibit was launched with a traditional Lion Dance, performed by Shaolin Hung Mei Kung Fu Association.
The Breaking the Barriers message provides an opportunity to celebrate diversity and inclusion, and at the same time brings together communities in a non-traditional way to discuss race and equality.
The Portrait Series
Pulitzer Prize-winning photographer Barry Gutierrez has been the visionary behind the lens for all three Breaking the Barriers projects. The second installment, The Asian Connection, celebrated local Asian Pacific American tennis pioneers.