Appalachian Artist | Educator

Nov 4, 2021
"A Student Curated Show About the Ethics of Care"
"How do acts of care shape our lives and the world around us? What are the ways we both give
and receive care? The past challenging year has prompted us to respond to these questions and
to reevaluate what care means to us and the many ways we can apply it within our daily lives. The Shape of Care encourages us to reflect upon practices of care by engaging with visual art that explores how we care for ourselves, our families, and our communities.
Artists Shelby Evans and Makenzie Heinemann envision care for the self through mediums that offer an escape to another realm, largely the natural world. In their view, care begins with taking time with oneself to reflect on how to move past experiences of trauma and isolation.
Acts of care for one’s family are represented throughout the works of Leah Gossett, April Webb, Camille Modesto, and B.A. King. Through their works, we see the objects that give tangible form to both the toll and joy of daily caretaking. These objects also reveal the gendered labor of caring for our families.
The works of Judy Chicago, Maryam Takalou, and the Chilean women of the Arpillera Workshop demonstrate the importance of activism to promote care for the community. Similarly, Athena Nugent illustrates the importance of taking care of our environment for future generations. Together, they stress that to protect and advocate for the most vulnerable among us are radical acts of care.
The Shape of Care aims to ignite a conversation on how we can elevate its practice throughout every aspect of our lives. By coming together, regardless of the dangers or the challenges we may face while doing so, we can preserve the wellbeing of ourselves, our families, and our communities through our collective care."
- The Museum Object Class, Curatorial Team