Social Justice: It Happens to One, It Happens to All
Saint Mary's College Museum of Art, Morago, CA, September 18 - December 11, 2016
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IN CONVERSATION WITH THE ARTISTS AND EXHIBITION RECEPTION
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EXHIBITION CONCEPT
“If you want peace, work for justice” - Pope John Paul VI
Art can inspire change and bring people together, crossing the borders of cultures and languages. Artists challenge the norm, imagine the potential and inspire social change.
For some, the United States is a true manifestation of the “American Dream”, yet, for many individuals both nationally and globally, basic human and civil rights are abridged and jeopardized with a judicial system that has eroded confidence and trust, and with racism propagated through groups that have systemic power to institutionalize prejudice in the forms of laws, policies, and ideologies that exclude and oppress others.
Gutfreund Cornett Art sought art in all media that spoke to and illuminated the ongoing conversation around race, conditions of the working class, disparities in global wealth, power, education, shelter, access to food, water and health services, immigration issues, criminal (in)justice, women’s rights, subjugating ethnic groups and the gender queer in the modern world.
We looked to employ artwork as weapons in the fight for human rights against violence and the ongoing wars. Human rights can no longer be thought of as separate and belonging to a privileged few, but rather that these rights are all interrelated, interdependent and indivisible for all. We believe the artist’s voice will help to foster these important dialogues worldwide and invite artists to add their voice.
PRESS, BLOGS and RESPONSES
Kyla Tynes, Saint Mary's College Museum of Art's Marketing and Public Relations Manager: ". . . this exhibition has been our highest attended show in almost 3 years and we have NEVER had more student/class tours. What a success!"
"Artists as Activists: Pursuing Social Justice"
by Amy Pleasant, Huffington Post "The Blog", September 6, 2016
"In light of the ever-growing list of crises crossing all borders and cultures, the curatorial partnership of Guttfreund Cornett Art has mobilized a group of 86 artists to address this escalation of violence, human rights violations, and environmental concerns. . . . . . Artists often see their place to provoke, to voice, to enlighten. This long-standing role of the artist as activist is at the heart of “Social Change: It Happens to One, It Happens to All”
by Amy Pleasant, Huffington Post "The Blog", September 6, 2016
"In light of the ever-growing list of crises crossing all borders and cultures, the curatorial partnership of Guttfreund Cornett Art has mobilized a group of 86 artists to address this escalation of violence, human rights violations, and environmental concerns. . . . . . Artists often see their place to provoke, to voice, to enlighten. This long-standing role of the artist as activist is at the heart of “Social Change: It Happens to One, It Happens to All”
"Sandra Fluke is an Art Judge Now"
by A.K. Carroll, SF Weekly, November 14, 2016
"When I speak to students and young people, I encourage them to try to find a way to make their work benefit others, no matter what that work is. Some people believe that if they care about issues of injustice, they must become attorneys or social workers, but in almost any field, you can find ways to help and to make a difference on these issues, and that includes the arts. It’s incredibly powerful to have an exhibit that calls attention to artists who are devoting their talents to raising awareness."
by A.K. Carroll, SF Weekly, November 14, 2016
"When I speak to students and young people, I encourage them to try to find a way to make their work benefit others, no matter what that work is. Some people believe that if they care about issues of injustice, they must become attorneys or social workers, but in almost any field, you can find ways to help and to make a difference on these issues, and that includes the arts. It’s incredibly powerful to have an exhibit that calls attention to artists who are devoting their talents to raising awareness."
Christian L. Frock highlights our exhibition in SF Arts
"This large-survey exhibition features works across various media, including ceramics, painting, sculpture and video, among others, from some 43 artists; there is also a slide show in the exhibition featuring images from more than 40 additional artists. The themes of the works run the wide range of social justice issues, from climate to wealth inequity to racial disparity. "
"This large-survey exhibition features works across various media, including ceramics, painting, sculpture and video, among others, from some 43 artists; there is also a slide show in the exhibition featuring images from more than 40 additional artists. The themes of the works run the wide range of social justice issues, from climate to wealth inequity to racial disparity. "
"Art as Activism: 7 Artists Create for Change"
by Sean Eckhardt, TakePart, September 27, 2016
"Three of the pieces in the exhibit were chosen by attorney and women’s rights activist Sandra Fluke, who garnered national media attention in 2012 when she was a student at Georgetown University. Republican members of the House of Representatives refused to hear Fluke’s testimony on the importance of requiring health insurance providers to cover contraception.
“Art has the power to touch us in a deeper way in our society. There’s so much noise surrounding how these issues are being talked about, especially on cable news,” Fluke wrote in an email to TakePart. “Art has the ability to cut through in a deep and powerful way that touches us on very serious issues that should demand our emotional attention.”
by Sean Eckhardt, TakePart, September 27, 2016
"Three of the pieces in the exhibit were chosen by attorney and women’s rights activist Sandra Fluke, who garnered national media attention in 2012 when she was a student at Georgetown University. Republican members of the House of Representatives refused to hear Fluke’s testimony on the importance of requiring health insurance providers to cover contraception.
“Art has the power to touch us in a deeper way in our society. There’s so much noise surrounding how these issues are being talked about, especially on cable news,” Fluke wrote in an email to TakePart. “Art has the ability to cut through in a deep and powerful way that touches us on very serious issues that should demand our emotional attention.”
"Social Justice Art Exhibition Curated by Gutfreund Cornett Art"
by Renee Phillips, The Healing Power of Art & Artists, September 18, 2016
by Renee Phillips, The Healing Power of Art & Artists, September 18, 2016
"Two Striking Exhibits Highlight Fall Semester at SMC's Museum of Art"
by A.K. Carroll, Lamorinda Weekly, September 7, 2016
"Art has the power to amuse, anger, intrigue and inspire. It can bind a community together or divide it in two, serve as a catalyst for conversation or the impetus of a movement. Exhibitions don't make it into galleries simply by chance, but through careful curation and arduous selection."
by A.K. Carroll, Lamorinda Weekly, September 7, 2016
"Art has the power to amuse, anger, intrigue and inspire. It can bind a community together or divide it in two, serve as a catalyst for conversation or the impetus of a movement. Exhibitions don't make it into galleries simply by chance, but through careful curation and arduous selection."
"Social Justice Reception"
by Marie Cameron, Marie Cameron Studio Blog, September 20, 2016
"The powerfully engaging internationally juried exhibition, Social Justice: It Happens to One It Happens to All, organized by Gutfreund Cornett Art opened Sunday at Saint Mary’s College Museum of Art with an inspiring Artist Talk in which 19 of the 46 exhibiting artists participated, some who traveled from as far away as San Diego and Los Angeles, Utah, Mexico and New Zealand! It was very moving to learn what had compelled each artist to create their work and to listen to the types of reactions their work has received. Typically working with controversial, challenging and even disturbing subject matter, I found all these artists to be particularly brave, passionate, thoughtful, smart and deeply human." (Marie's blog includes photos of artists in front of their works)
by Marie Cameron, Marie Cameron Studio Blog, September 20, 2016
"The powerfully engaging internationally juried exhibition, Social Justice: It Happens to One It Happens to All, organized by Gutfreund Cornett Art opened Sunday at Saint Mary’s College Museum of Art with an inspiring Artist Talk in which 19 of the 46 exhibiting artists participated, some who traveled from as far away as San Diego and Los Angeles, Utah, Mexico and New Zealand! It was very moving to learn what had compelled each artist to create their work and to listen to the types of reactions their work has received. Typically working with controversial, challenging and even disturbing subject matter, I found all these artists to be particularly brave, passionate, thoughtful, smart and deeply human." (Marie's blog includes photos of artists in front of their works)
SPECIAL RECOGNITION SELECTIONS BY SANDRA FLUKE
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Nancy Ohanian
"EPA REGULATION" Digital print on aluminum, 30 x 20 inches, 2016 |
ARTISTS WITH WORKS INSTALLED IN GALLERY
Gary Aagaard*, Algie Abrams, Eric Almanza, Jenny E. Balisle, Ronda Brown, Marie Cameron, Jane Caminos, Veronica Cardoso*, Gerardo Castro, Jennifer Cawley, James Davis*, Justyne Fischer, Sara Friedlander, Linda Friedman Schmidt, Emily Greenberg, Vicki Gunter, Maru Hoeber, Beth Krensky, Dave Kube, Jihae Kwon, Scott Leahing, Dawn Nakashima, Nancy Ohanian*, Priscilla Otani*, Sibylle Peretti, Xian Mei Qiu*, Sinan Revell*, Joanne Beaule Ruggles, Timo Saarelma, Nick Hugh Schmidt*, Jaime Shafer, Amy Siqveland, Miholyn Soon and Ellie Jones*, Elka Stevens, Dan Tague, Rebekah Tarin, Joseph Tipay, Jane Venis, Eike Waltz, Frank Wang, Margi Weir*, Elena Wyatt, Brad Wong and Leo Volcy/Vibe & The Meteorites(Alexander Rossman, Brad Michael Wong, Chris Young)*
ARTISTS WHOSE WORKS WERE SHOWN ON A SLIDESHOW IN GALLERY
In order to accommodate as many viewpoints as possible and expand the conversation beyond the physical limitations of the museum, additional works were selected to be shown in a looped slideshow in the gallery:
Nic Abramson*, Kamal Al Mansour, Marcia Annenberg*, Anne Bascove, Nancy Calef, Jane Caminos, LaShawnda Crowe Storm, Alex Curtiss, Myra Eastman, Rachel Beth Egenhoefer, Beth Fein, Patricio Guillamon, Maggy Hiltner, Barbara Horiuchi, Catherine Johnson, Simone Kestelman*, Pat Kumicich, Beth Lakamp, Sharon Lange, Monika Malewska, Penny Mateer*, Melissa McCutcheon, Beverly Mills, Robbin Milne, Traci Mims, Christopher Owen Nelson, John Nieman*, Annamarie Pabst, Sara Petitt, Roxanne Phillips, IlaSahai Prouty, The Ragdoll Project*, Remedios Rapoport, Sinan Revell*, Trix Rosen, Bridget Rountree, Timo Saarelma, Charles Seaton, Zahava Sherez, Kathryn Shinko, Bonnie J. Smith, Debra Thompson*, Doerte Weber, Thomas Whalen, Aaron Wilder
*Pieces from these artists were selected from the initial exhibition proposal to St. Mary's College Museum of Art to be included in this exhibition.
Nic Abramson*, Kamal Al Mansour, Marcia Annenberg*, Anne Bascove, Nancy Calef, Jane Caminos, LaShawnda Crowe Storm, Alex Curtiss, Myra Eastman, Rachel Beth Egenhoefer, Beth Fein, Patricio Guillamon, Maggy Hiltner, Barbara Horiuchi, Catherine Johnson, Simone Kestelman*, Pat Kumicich, Beth Lakamp, Sharon Lange, Monika Malewska, Penny Mateer*, Melissa McCutcheon, Beverly Mills, Robbin Milne, Traci Mims, Christopher Owen Nelson, John Nieman*, Annamarie Pabst, Sara Petitt, Roxanne Phillips, IlaSahai Prouty, The Ragdoll Project*, Remedios Rapoport, Sinan Revell*, Trix Rosen, Bridget Rountree, Timo Saarelma, Charles Seaton, Zahava Sherez, Kathryn Shinko, Bonnie J. Smith, Debra Thompson*, Doerte Weber, Thomas Whalen, Aaron Wilder
*Pieces from these artists were selected from the initial exhibition proposal to St. Mary's College Museum of Art to be included in this exhibition.
NOTES FROM "IN CONVERSATION WITH THE ARTISTS"
Seventeen of the artists from this exhibition participated in conversation on the opening day. Community members listened and then joined in. The artists were asked to respond to two questions: 1) Is there a specific event that motivated you to do activist-themed/social justice focused work? 2) What was the most meaningful reaction you have received to your work? What followed was an emotionally-charged exchange that supported and bonded our community. Click on the image of their works to download and read these sample responses:
Marie Cameron "La Niña"
Sara Friedlander
"Stonewalled in Jerusalem" |
Vicki Gunter
"It's Not One Thing...It's Everything - Loss Series 8" 
Andrew Seaton
"The Wall Series (Reagan)" |
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SPECIAL RECOGNITIONS JUROR: SANDRA FLUKE
Sandra will review submissions to this exhibition, and choose three pieces from all the works chosen to be installed, which she feels are the strongest representations of and best stimulus for discussions of social justice issues.
Sandra Fluke is a social justice attorney and women's rights activist. She first came to public attention when, in February 2012, Republican members of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee refused to allow her to testify to that committee on the importance of requiring insurance plans to cover birth control during a discussion on whether medical insurance should have a contraception mandate.
Fluke co-founded the New York Statewide Coalition for Fair Access to Family Court, which successfully advocated for legislation granting access to civil orders of protection for unmarried victims of domestic violence, including teen LGBTQ victims. Fluke was also a member of the Manhattan Borough President's Taskforce on Domestic Violence and numerous other New York City and New York State coalitions that successfully advocated for policy improvements impacting victims of domestic violence. While in New York City, she worked for Sanctuary for Families, which aids victims of domestic violence and human trafficking.
Fluke earned her B.S. in Policy Analysis and Management as well as Feminist, Gender, and Sexuality Studies from Cornell University in 2003. She also received her J.D. with a Certificate in Refugee and Humanitarian Emergencies from Georgetown University Law Center. While at Georgetown, Fluke was the President of Law Students for Reproductive Justice, an editor for the Journal of Gender and the Law and Vice President of the Women's Legal Alliance.
Fluke was a featured speaker at the 2012 Democratic National Convention, where she addressed the different visions of the role of women in the election, and a panelist at the Women's Caucus for Art "Honoring Women's Rights" conference at the National Steinbeck Center.
Sandra Fluke is a social justice attorney and women's rights activist. She first came to public attention when, in February 2012, Republican members of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee refused to allow her to testify to that committee on the importance of requiring insurance plans to cover birth control during a discussion on whether medical insurance should have a contraception mandate.
Fluke co-founded the New York Statewide Coalition for Fair Access to Family Court, which successfully advocated for legislation granting access to civil orders of protection for unmarried victims of domestic violence, including teen LGBTQ victims. Fluke was also a member of the Manhattan Borough President's Taskforce on Domestic Violence and numerous other New York City and New York State coalitions that successfully advocated for policy improvements impacting victims of domestic violence. While in New York City, she worked for Sanctuary for Families, which aids victims of domestic violence and human trafficking.
Fluke earned her B.S. in Policy Analysis and Management as well as Feminist, Gender, and Sexuality Studies from Cornell University in 2003. She also received her J.D. with a Certificate in Refugee and Humanitarian Emergencies from Georgetown University Law Center. While at Georgetown, Fluke was the President of Law Students for Reproductive Justice, an editor for the Journal of Gender and the Law and Vice President of the Women's Legal Alliance.
Fluke was a featured speaker at the 2012 Democratic National Convention, where she addressed the different visions of the role of women in the election, and a panelist at the Women's Caucus for Art "Honoring Women's Rights" conference at the National Steinbeck Center.
EXHIBITION CATALOG
Available via Create Space
The 182 pages are filled with:
~images of the powerful works - the installed ones as well as the ones in the slideshow
~all of the artists' compelling statements
~comments from our Special Awards Juror and Social Justice Attorney Sandra Fluke
~ essays by both Sherri and Karen
~and, for the first time, additional essays and poetry from many of the artists in this show
All together, it makes for a deep and solid starting point for conversation about social justice. This is permanent and researchable documentation of this exhibition. ISBN/EAN13:1533214964 / 9781533214966, 8.5 x 8.5 inches, Full color
An online version is viewable on Issuu via
issuu.com/gutfreundcornettart/docs/social_justice_catalog_final_for_is
The 182 pages are filled with:
~images of the powerful works - the installed ones as well as the ones in the slideshow
~all of the artists' compelling statements
~comments from our Special Awards Juror and Social Justice Attorney Sandra Fluke
~ essays by both Sherri and Karen
~and, for the first time, additional essays and poetry from many of the artists in this show
All together, it makes for a deep and solid starting point for conversation about social justice. This is permanent and researchable documentation of this exhibition. ISBN/EAN13:1533214964 / 9781533214966, 8.5 x 8.5 inches, Full color
An online version is viewable on Issuu via
issuu.com/gutfreundcornettart/docs/social_justice_catalog_final_for_is
CURATORIAL CATALOG ESSAYS
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ABOUT OUR VENUE
Saint Mary's College Museum of Art (SMCMoA) is home to over 4,000 pieces of art, ranging from William Keith's early California landscapes to Andy Warhol's polaroids and has rotating exhibitions from invited curators and the private collection. "Social Justice: It Happens to One, It Happens to All" curated by GCA will be displayed in the Armistead and Studio Galleries of the Museum. The Museum will also be hosting a concurrent exhibition entitled "The American Soldier".
The Museum, University staff and students at St. Mary's are committed to social justice, respect for all persons, and the power of education to transform lives. A distinctive mark of a Lasallian school is its awareness of the consequences of economic and social injustice and its commitment to the poor. Its members learn to live "their responsibility to share their goods and their service with those who are in need, a responsibility based on the union of all men and women in the world today..." Read more about the St. Mary’s here.
The Museum, University staff and students at St. Mary's are committed to social justice, respect for all persons, and the power of education to transform lives. A distinctive mark of a Lasallian school is its awareness of the consequences of economic and social injustice and its commitment to the poor. Its members learn to live "their responsibility to share their goods and their service with those who are in need, a responsibility based on the union of all men and women in the world today..." Read more about the St. Mary’s here.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Thank you to Kyla Tynes, Marketing and Public Relations Manager of Saint Mary's College Museum of Art, for the initial invitation to create this exhibition. The Museum's Registrar Robin Bernhard tirelessly followed up on all of the details to get the works approved and installed with the assistance of Patrick Maisano. John Schneider, Museum Manager, encouraged the departments and organizations on campus to create programming around this exhibition. David Roemer and Jaime Curtis helped us connect with Campus Movie Fest winners Eleanor Jones and Miholyn Soon ("The Sculpted"), Brad Wong and Leo Volcy, The Meteorites (“Power to the People”), and James Davis, Khaotix, Inc. (“See Me”), so that we could include them in the exhibition. Thank you to Marschel Kemper of Ideas United for formatting all of the videos for the viewing in the galleries. We are grateful to Rona Spears, who stepped up to round up all of the artist loan agreements and other curatorial details.