Milwaukee _ University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee students put a contemporary human rights movement under the microscope in an exhibition of artwork produced as part of an honors class.
The work, collectively titled “Art Expo #BlackLivesMatter,” is on display from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., May 5-10, in the UWM Art History Gallery, Mitchell Hall, 3203 N. Downer Ave.
An artists’ reception, where students will be available to discuss their work, is scheduled from 11 a.m. to noon Thursday, May 5. The gallery is closed Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.
The collection of multimedia installations illustrates a unique perspective on issues of race and inequality gained by students through readings, lectures and discussions for the course #BlackLivesMatter: A Contextual Analysis and Critique of the Movement.
David Pate, associate professor in the Helen Bader School of Social Welfare, designed and taught the course. It looks at the cultural, social and political factors throughout history that have led to persecution based on race, gender and class. Pate says he was surprised at how rare it is that universities offer such courses.
“We’re in a city where race is a big issue and poverty is a big issue,” Pate said, “so it made sense that we should have this class. We should be offering this as a subject for discussion.”
The multimedia project illustrates what students learned in the class and how they interpreted the actions of the Black Lives Matter movement.
Guest lecturer, artist and activist Kelly Parks Snider led discussions and worked with students as they researched and created their art. Representing a range of media, the works in “Art Expo #BlackLivesMatter” include large-scale visual narratives, collage, spoken word, dance, photography and steel sculpture.
Pate said the ideas the students translated through their art demonstrate the complexity of issues of race and human rights in America.
“Hopefully, this art and the conversation it fosters about hidden truths provide a critical lens and a chance to focus with greater awareness on issues of privilege, power and inequality,” he said.