Seen and Heard: An Active Commemoration of Women’s Suffrage
Everson Museum of Art: June 10 – August 27, 2017
In celebration of the one hundredth anniversary of the passage of women’s suffrage in New York State, Seen and Heard explores the use of the arts as a catalyst for social change. Artists have played key roles in social and political movements throughout history, altering the ways in which people view and think about the world. Whether performance, music, or visual, art of any medium has the power to challenge assumptions and inspire passions as nothing else can, and artists harness that power to analyze humanity, initiate tough conversations, protest injustice, and affect emotional and systematic change.
Initially inspired by Barbara Kruger’s Who Speaks? Who is Silent?, a monumental work in the Everson’s collection that addresses the implication of silence and representation for women, Seen and Heard features the work of nine contemporary artists alongside key works from the Museum’s permanent collection. Through this presentation, the exhibition considers the history of social and political activism in the arts and invites visitors to participate in a timely conversation about equal rights and civic engagement. The nine artists, Mildred Beltré, Yvonne Buchanan, Cassils, Lionel Cruet, Stella Marrs, Jessica Posner, Jessica Putnam-Phillips, Kevin Snipes, and Holly Zausner, share a passion for social equality and justice, and their work builds upon the extensive history of art as a form of activism. Working in sculpture, installation, printmaking, ceramics, photography, and video, each artist explores the language and tactics of protest in both subtle and overt ways.
Through their work, artists drive people to act, think, and feel deeply and with a greater sense of empathy. At this critical time, the Everson remains committed to providing a safe place for peaceful civic engagement. By presenting Seen and Heard, the Museum hopes to empower citizens to participate in the local democratic process by sharing their unique perspectives, to create positive change, and to continue to position the Everson as a community resource for activism through the arts.
—DJ Hellerman, Curator of Art & Programs
Seen and Heard is accompanied by a series of public programs and events throughout the summer, an artist-in-residence program in partnership with SaltQuarters, and an exhibition through a partnership with the Photography and Literacy Project, also on view at the Everson.
Seen and Heard is made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo and the New York State Legislature and a Humanities New York Vision/Action Grant.
Artists:
Mildred Beltré, Yvonne Buchanan, Cassils, Lionel Cruet, Currier & Ives, Juan Downey, Christina Erives, Vanessa German, Barbara Kruger, Stella Marrs, Norma Pontes, Jessica Posner, Jessica Putnam-Phillips, Dario Robleto, Kevin Snipes, Rita Moriera, Kara Walker, Carrie Mae Weems, Holly Zausner