Hear My Voice

I think it’s a very crucial time where we need to hear from the public and less about the public.

-Hank Willis Thomas

Four years ago, the JSMA's Education department created an annual program to engage UO students in conversations about race, identity, representation, and misrepresentation. The goal was to provide students with a space to create art and engage in dialogue about their experiences and fears as they navigate their lives as young adults. The projects begin with a conversation, then integrating art production and writing as part of the process before the program culminates in an exhibition.

This year's project, Hear My Voice, was led and curated by UO art students Kayla Lockwood (2022, ATCH BFA) Sam Berry (2023, Product Design) and Malik Lovette (2024, M.Arch). The exhibition documents multiple community conversations with UO students, primarily students of color, and documents their experiences surrounding stereotyping with digital Spectrogram prints of their voices. The project team focused on empowering and representing each participants' authentic view of their identity with the critical and reflective dispositions that accompany their personal development.