September 27 – December 13, 2019
There may be times when we are powerless to prevent injustice, but there must never be a time when we fail to protest.”— Elie Wiesel
RESIST! INSIST! PERSIST! explores the intersection of art and activism. Drawn primarily from the Fleming Museum’s collection, the exhibition features the work of historical and contemporary artists who have countered adversity and hardship with empowerment and expression. This show was curated by UVM students in the Fall 2018 class Art History 282: Museum Studies, taught by Kelley Helmstutler Di Dio, Professor of Art History and Associate Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences.
Art has always had the power to evoke a strong emotional response from viewers. As it became easier and cheaper to produce and circulate art in prints and photographs, artists seized the opportunity to spread imagery that gives voice to marginalized groups and brings injustices to light.
Artists in the exhibition include Francisco de Goya, William Hogarth, Pablo Picasso, Lewis Hine, Diego Rivera, the Guerrilla Girls, Kara Walker, Alison Saar, Glenn Ligon, Sabra Field, and Mildred Beltré, among others. Their subjects range from racial violence, to state oppression, to the underrepresentation of women in the art world, and more.
The show’s student curators write: “In investigating these issues, we will encounter some controversial and distressing images and ideas, but we must not shrink from them. As citizens of this messy world, we have a duty to address our past, ugly as it might be, and use what we learn to shape a better future for ourselves and those who succeed us.”
Alison Saar’s “Blue Plate Special,” 1993
Alison Saar (American, born 1956), Blue Plate Special, 1993. Woodcut, chine collé and three-dimensional collage on paper. Museum Purchase, Way Fund 1997.7.1
Francisco De Goya’s What a Golden Beak! (Que Pico De Oro!), No. 53 from Caprices (Los Caprichos), 1797-1799
Francisco De Goya (Spanish, 1746-1828), What a Golden Beak! (Que Pico De Oro!), No. 53 from Caprices (Los Caprichos), 1797-1799. Etching and burnished aquatint on laid paper. Gift of Henry Schnakenberg 1945.2.42
Jerry Kearns’ “American Noir,” from “10: Artist as Catalyst,” 1992
Jerry Kearns (American, born 1943), American Noir, from 10: Artist as Catalyst, 1992. Screen print on paper. Museum Purchase, Way Fund 1993.11.6
Kara Walker’s “Testimony,” 2005
Kara Walker (American, born 1969), Testimony, 2005. Photogravure on paper. Museum Purchase, Way Fund 2006.7.1