Posted on March 31, 2020 at 12:45 PM by Lilah Anderson
In this strange and scary time, I find some comfort in planning for the future. A future where people can gather together again for lectures and programs where we can have critical dialogues about art in person. It is with a great sense of hope that I open the call for proposals for the 2020-2021 reACT exhibition series.
The reACT exhibition series is a program that allows any faculty or Professional and Scientific staff at Iowa State University to propose an exhibition on a topic they believe would benefit an open and safe dialogue facilitated by the visual arts and be a guest curator for that exhibition. The reACT program gives the opportunity for relevant ideas and current events to be discussed through the lens of art, and more precisely the art of the University Museums’ permanent collection, a collection that belongs to every individual in the Iowa State community. This exhibition series invites engagement and makes space for a multiplicity of voices, in the interpretations, the works of art and the reactions.
Examining art closely and critically can be a powerful way to engage creative thought and critical thinking skills. reACT exhibitions allow faculty and staff the opportunity to immerse themselves in this practice and share it with the wider Iowa State and Ames community. It is at times like these when programs like the reACT exhibition series can truly be impactful. I invite you during this challenging time to think about the future with me. Faculty and P&S staff, tell University Museums what discussions you want to have when we emerge from this pandemic and what works of art can express those questions and provoke new ideas and conversations.
~ Lilah Anderson, Educator of Visual Literacy and Learning and reACT Exhibition Coordinator
The reACT exhibition series is sponsored by the Offices of the Vice President for Research and the Senior Vice President for the Division of Operations and Finance.