Nearly everyone who comes to the Human Rights Institute at Kean University remarks on how unusual and remarkable it is to have a gallery dedicated to human rights.
“We must never forget that art is not a form of propaganda; it is a form of truth.”
-John F. Kennedy, 34th President of the United States
Art informs our world and expands our sympathies; it exhilarates us, provokes us, soothes us and inspires us by transcending the boundaries of language, geography, society and religion. It serves as a common thread that pulls us all together, while simultaneously encouraging an individuality of thought, understanding and reaction to complex issues.
Exhibitions presented in the Human Rights Institute Gallery are designed to help visitors experience issues from a variety of perspectives, while motivating them to become active participants in civil society.
Current Exhibition:
Water is Life:
Clean Water and Its Impact on the Lives of Women and Girls Around the World
September 4-December 12, 2018
Water is Life is an exhibition of quilts crafted by 39 artists from seven countries including the U.S., France, Italy, Canada, Switzerland, Israel and Mexico. Quilters were invited to create and submit artistic quilts that address the issue of clean water and its impact on the lives of women and girls.
Participating quilters highlighted many aspects of water, including how access to clean water can affect women’s daily lives, health, safety, the environment, mobility, income and development. Other aspects related to women’s relationship to water were depicted in the quilts, including fishing, aquaculture and transportation.
Thursday, September 13
Panel Discussion: 3:20-4:30 p.m.
Reception 5-7 p.m.
Water is Life debuted at the United Nations headquarters in Geneva to commemorate UN World Water Day in March 2016 under the auspices of the US Mission to the United Nations in Geneva. The exhibition has been organized by Allison and Dick Wilbur. www.quiltforchange.org
Admission to the exhibition and related events are free and open to the public. Groups are invited to schedule free educational tours led by trained gallery docents.
PREVIOUS EXHIBITIONS ––
Transnational Migration and Immigration
February 1 - June 12, 2018
Franca Marini
The movement of people searching for safety and opportunity is as old as humanity itself. Franca Marini will use contemporary Italy as an example of the mounting crisis of immigration and migration, resulting from poverty and war in North Afica and the Middle East.
After-Effects: Beyong the Shadow of War
5 September - 20 December 2017
Linda Bond, Resident Scholar, WSRC Brandies University
www.lindabondart.com
Linda Bond’s artwork addresses the broad impact of war by exploring the conditions of violence from differing perspectives. Her installation deals with the result of armed conflict in the Middle East in which unmanned drones have come to replace combat troops as agents of war. In recent years she has expanded her studio practice into social action. “One to One” is a special project which involves collaboration with women who are attending literacy programs in Afghanistan, and “Forced to Flee” gives voice to a Syrian woman who left her home and is seeking asylum in the United States.
The Art of Influence: Breaking Criminal Traditions
September -- December 16, 2016
The Art of Influence: Breaking Criminal Traditions, featuring the work of 24 artists from around the country, calls attention to the ongoing ancient rituals that kill or maim millions each year, yet are not considered crimes.
This provocative yet engaging exhibition debuted in 2013 at the IIT Chicago-Kent College of Law and brought shadowy topics including honor killing, child marriage and acid violence directly into public consciousness and into public debate. The exhibit continues to expand and evolve, with a unique presentation designed specifically for Kean’s Human Rights Institute Gallery.
Curator Chuck Gniech chose approximately 50 “intriguing” pieces of fine art in a variety of mediums. “Conscious of the human rights issues outlined by the exhibition’s executive producer, Cheryl Jefferson, each art piece alludes to the issues at hand, but the meaning is ultimately defined by the viewer,” he said.
Jefferson, a participant in the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women, noted that the global reach of these complex human behaviors extends to the United States. “The exhibit allows us to take the first step toward change and to support the legal evolution that can only come from within other cultures and our own,” she said.
I Learn America
Explorations into Diversity, Identity and Inclusion
January 31- May 12, 2017
Students and teachers invite viewers to enter their inner worlds and engage with their personal stories through the images they make. Inspired by the I Learn America documentary and initiative, these novice and accomplished creators seek to foster community conversations that raise public awareness, break down stereotypes and celebrate diversity. Opening Reception with the Artists Tuesday, January 31, from 5-8 p.m. Admission to the opening reception and exhibition are free and open to the public. For more information, e-mail humanrights@kean.edu or call (908) 737-4670.
