Like Voices Singing Together, Come Rain or Shine

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What does civic engagement mean to you? More than two dozen artworks chosen in response to this question are currently on view in the Luther W. Brady Art Galleryexhibition "Unruly Discourse." The Brady Art Gallery is in the Flagg Building of the Corcoran School of the Arts and Design, part of the Columbian College of Arts and Sciences.

With civic engagement as a starting point, faculty and staff members were invited to select artworks from the permanent collections of the Corcoran and GW Museum. The exhibition was the brainchild of Olivia Kohler-Maga, who oversees the Brady Art Gallery. She co-curated the show with members of For Freedoms, the artist-led organization currently in the second year of a three-year residency jointly hosted by the Corcoran and the National Gallery of Art.

A photograph by Barbara Morgan, "Children Singing in the Rain," suggests that civic engagement is like a choral performance in conditions that may or may not be ideal. It was chosen by Jodi Kanter, professor of theatre.

"That is one of my favorite choices," Kohler-Maga said, "not just because it's a fun picture, but also because Jodi Kanter submitted a lovely poem, 'Art as Activism,' to accompany her choice. It's a short piece about how voices singing together can make a big statement. That response in itself is a statement about activism. It doesn't have to be long; it doesn't have to be a footnoted research paper. It can be just a poem."

Another photograph, "Bed Sheets," by Claudia Smigrod, was selected by Joey Enriquez, professorial lecturer in fine arts.

Claudia Smigrod, Bed Sheets, 1979; printed October 1980, Vandyke print on gold toned wove paper, 9 H x 8 W in. Gift from the Trustees of the Corcoran Gallery of Art (Museum Purchase with the aid of funds from the National Endowment for the Arts, Washington, D.C., a Federal Agency, and The Polaroid Corporation) (CGA.1980.146) © Claudia Smigrod

"I consider rest a critical component to activism, especially in the era of digital activism," Enriquez wrote. "I find power in this photograph through the localized perspective of where rest takes place, and in turn, I become more curiously critical of the things that take me away from a place that's so empowering."

"Those words spoke deeply to me," Kohler-Maga said. "Rest and taking care of yourself are an essential part of civic engagement. You can't pour from an empty cup. You really have to make choices about what brings you away from rest and away from your bed. You can't do everything. You need to rejuvenate yourself, as well."

A photograph taken just a few years after World War II, "Two Women Holding Yarn, Peak Dale, England," by B. Anthony Stewart, was chosen by Suse Anderson, associate professor of museum studies.

B. Anthony Stewart, [Two Women Holding Yarn, Peak Dale, England], 1948, dye imbibition print (dye transfer), 21-1/8 H x 16-7/16 W in. Gift from the Trustees of the Corcoran Gallery of Art (Gift of Eastman Kodak Company) (CGA.1990.2.132) © National Geographic Society

"Although it is easy to imagine there is nothing of note happening in this seemingly benign image, these two women must have experienced the devastation and sacrifice of a country at war," Anderson wrote. "Now they work together to repair something old or make something new. It's what is required of all of us; we take the materials we have and work together for repair and creation."

"Activism doesn't have to be loud or violent," Anderson concluded. "There is great beauty and power in the ordinary moments where we sit and work together."

"Sometimes just doing something small to help is an act of civic engagement," Kohler-Maga said. "I like this idea that there can be private acts of political activism."

A drawing by Kit White, "'After' Jasper Johns, 'Flag'," was the choice of Kerry McAleer-Keeler, associate professor of art and design.

Kit White, "After" Jasper Johns, "Flag," 1954-1955, 2011, graphite on paper, 9 H x 11-5/8 W in. Gift of Luther W. Brady, M.D., 2015 (P.15.11b) © Kit White

White's "stark grayscale rendering of the iconic painting [by Jasper Johns] underscores the enduring power of art," McAleer-Keeler wrote, "and invites viewers into a visual dialogue about the role of symbols in both artistic expression and the broader political landscape. It compels us to evaluate what truly holds virtue in America."

"We know it should be red, white and blue," Kohler-Maga said, "but maybe looking at a grayscale version allows us to think about how it doesn't have to be one thing or the other to be American."

Works by Andy Warhol, Arthur Tress and Dana Hoey, among other artists, are also included in the exhibition.

"This exhibition is my answer to what civic engagement is," Kohler-Maga said. "A university art gallery should be a space where we can explore difficult topics. And I love to give works in the GW collection new life, new stories."

"Unruly Discourse" will be in the Brady Art Gallery, open Wednesday through Saturday, 1 to 5 p.m., through Dec. 6. Kohler-Maga will be hosting a tour and lunch discussionfor students on Oct. 30, along with members of For Freedoms.