For Freedoms Alabama art exhibit opening Oct. 28 at the Central Library
What: For Freedoms Alabama art exhibit
When: Sunday, Oct. 28, 2018 through Friday, Jan. 25, 2019
Where: The Central Library Fourth Floor Gallery, 2100 Park Place, Birmingham, Ala. 35203
Details: For Freedoms Alabama is free and open to the public during Central Library operating hours. Call 205-226-3601 for more information or visit www.forfreedoms.org.
Birmingham, Ala. – The Birmingham Public Library is hosting a new art exhibit that is part of a non-partisan, nationwide campaign using art as a means to inspire civic participation by celebrating freedoms in advance of the 2018 midterm elections. The For Freedoms Alabama exhibit opens Sunday, Oct. 28, and will be open through Friday, Jan. 25, 2019.
Curated by Paul Barrett, the exhibition includes paintings, photographs, prints, and mixed media works from Alabama artists: Lanette Blankenship, Becky Delgado, Carey Fountain, Frances Hackney, Ira Hill, Josh Hoggle, Angela Hollowell, Devonte Holt, Holland Hopson, illartpeace; Kiante Johnson, Tara Stallworth Lee, Leanna Leithauser-Lesley, Elizabeth Limbaugh, Erin London, Meghan Malone, Isaac Nunn, Amber Quinn, Meroe Rei, Jared Ragland, Carl Schinasi; Don Stewart, Chris Wade, and Collin Williams.
Barrett said after working with BPL on his One In Our Blood collaboration with the Abroms-Engel Institute forthe Visual Arts, Birmingham Civil Rights Institute, Birmingham Museum of Art, and UAB School of Medicine last year, it was important to bring this new discussion between Alabama artists and the public to the Fourth Floor Gallery.
“Libraries are our best community resource for facts and news and continue to provide critical spaces for constructive dialogue,” Barrett said. “With local partners including Alabama Center for Architecture, Birmingham Museum of Art, Ground Floor Contemporary, UAB Institute for HumanRights, and dozens more statewide, it’s an honor to partner with For Freedoms to present this exhibition.”
For additional information about For Freedoms, visit www.forfreedoms.org and follow the 50 State Initiative on Instagram and Facebook. For Freedoms was founded by artists in 2016 as a platform for civic engagement, discourse, and direct action in the United States. The exhibit was inspired by Norman Rockwell’s 1943 paintings of the four universal freedoms articulated by Franklin Delano Roosevelt in 1941—freedom of speech, freedom of worship, freedom from want, and freedom from fear. For Freedoms uses art to deepen public discussions of civic issues and core values, and to clarify that citizenship in American society is dependent on participation, not ideology. The 50 State Initiative (including Washington D.C. and Puerto Rico) is the largest creative collaboration in the history of this country, with For Freedoms’ 200-plus institutional partners bringing together artists and community leaders across the country through exhibitions and town hall meetings, and public billboard projects.
FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT BPL
For additional information about the programs and services of the Birmingham Public Library, visit our website at www.bplonline.org and be sure to follow us on Facebook and Twitter @BPL. The mission of Birmingham Public Library is to provide the highest quality library experience to our community for life-long learning, cultural enrichment, and enjoyment. This system—with 19 locations and serving the community for over 130 years—is one of the largest library systems in the Southeast.
For immediate release Friday, Oct. 19, 2018