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National Day of Racial Healing 2023 TAG Art Lab Installation. Photo by Dwayne Barnes.<\/p><\/div>\n
I was fortunate to be one of the students whose work was chosen for this exhibition, which was coordinated by The Art Galleries at ACC and the Truth, Racial Healing, and Transformation Center. As I walked around the Art Lab admiring the artwork, I could hear questions and conversations about the artworks circulating around the gallery.<\/span> In this moment, I realized how incredibly talented and diverse the group was, and I felt a sense of\u00a0 gratitude to be a part of the exhibition, which was sparking so many important questions and conversations about racial healing.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Visitor reading Jennifer Conroy’s Kenneth<\/em> diptych. National Day of Racial Healing Art Lab exhibition, January 2023. Photograph by Dwayne Barnes.<\/p><\/div>\n The 30 artworks chosen for the exhibition consisted of paintings, prints, collages, and ceramics under the theme of the exhibition, \u201c Truth, Racial Healing and Transformation Begins with Me.\u201d Even under this common theme, the artworks communicated a sense of individuality unique to each artist. Some paintings explored the concept of identity, while some works explored the importance of culture. Other artworks even explored empathy and lived experience. For example, Jennifer L. Conroy’s digital photography describes stories of Austin residents, narrating the lives and courage of these individuals that transpire towards transformation and truth.<\/span><\/p>\n Brisa Orlando, To Belong <\/em>, 2022, acrylic paint on canvas.<\/p><\/div>\n My acrylic painting in the exhibition, <\/span>To Belong<\/span><\/i>, was based on the concept of finding peace and healing within our own environments. I created the surroundings, such as the black and white floor and the floral background, from an imaginative setting to express the transformation and envision a theme of \u201cbelonging.\u201d Art certainly plays a huge role in my life, and I wanted to communicate that to viewers and connect with them through my artwork.<\/span><\/p>\n I had a conversation about my work with the exhibition\u2019s juror and ACC alumni Cindy Elizabeth, a documentary photographer whose work documents Black community events in Austin and communicates themes of social justice. <\/span>(See Cindy Elizabeth\u2019s full bio here<\/a>)<\/span> In speaking with Elizabeth, I found her successful story to be a great motivation for maintaining a voice for the people within our communities.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n At the end of the exhibition, visitors had a choice to share their thoughts through an Artful Response board which had prompts such as, \u201cWhat role does art play in racial healing, transformation, and truth?\u201d in which visitors could write their thoughts on index cards and post them in the gallery. The board filled up with responses from visitors and artists all sharing their unique thoughts and leaving us with the lingering question: How can art help us understand each other\u2019s experiences?<\/span><\/p>\n Artful Response Board, National Day of Racial Healing exhibition, January 2023. Photograph by Dwayne Barnes.<\/p><\/div>\n Through this experience walking through and participating as an artist in this exhibition, I have come to realize that art is versatile and can speak different languages to each person \u2013 and ultimately art has the power to give a voice to those that feel they don\u2019t have one.<\/span><\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/admc.austincc.edu\/tag\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2023\/03\/20230209_182638_hlc_art_brass_tag_celebration_of_the_arts_black_history_db-300x200.jpg\")
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