9.7.16 Why

“It is a big question, a question of the work we have to do to eventually get to a place where there is freedom in the world. It is a huge question and it calls for a huge answer, but that huge answer consists of small steps and we can begin engaging in those small steps today . . . I have always discovered that it is artists who guide us into arenas that we have not necessarily known before . . .” Angela Davis 
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Though there are certainly improvements on many social justice fronts, the frequency and intensity of injustices, directly experienced or brought in front of us via the myriad news and social media sources, can be paralyzing and exhibitions, like this one, can provide us a place to contemplate, discuss and formulate responses to these injustices.

From my exhibition catalog essay "Why" for our Social Justice: It Happens to One, It Happens to All:

"Artists have many media into which to place these emotions, to process our distress, share our concerns and implore viewers to take action. Karen and I, through our curatorial partnership Gutfreund Cornett Art, are channeling our anguish, as well as hope, into the creation of exhibitions such as Social Justice: It Happens to One, It Happens to All . . . [The communities that form around these exhibitions] may only be temporary or they might ripple outward from the gallery spaces into permanent bonds. But, they are born within the structure of activist-themed exhibitions, such as this one, and pull us back into our genetic need for connection, the comfort of a collective experience and the satisfaction of common-focused work and problem solving. They give us hope and reassurance that others in the world are concerned and evaluating and determining their next steps, along with us. They are also asking themselves and us how to best navigate through the world and be an engaged citizen. Interacting with others strengthens our beliefs in cooperation that may lead to better decision-making and policies from the local to global arenas. This sense of community can empower those least likely to speak out, to do so and to respond and take action with whatever skills and insights they have. We are creating a space from which action moves forth from these communities to larger ones. As Berthold Brecht has advised, we are showing the world it is capable of changing."
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For more about the exhibition: https://www.gutfreundcornettart.com/social-justice-it-happens-to-one-it-happens-to-all-2016.html

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