It’s not a political show; it’s a community conversation show that expresses hope and grief in the nation’s current political status. The “Good Morning/Mourning America” multimedia exhibition will take place at Gallery 440 in Fort Worth from Aug. 22 through Aug. 28.
The art show is being hosted by Elizabeth Martin and Elizabeth Wills from Immergent, an initiative focused on bringing communities together for healing, creative experiences. They wanted to find a way to bridge difficult times with difficult conversations. The idea for this exhibition came about shortly after the most recent presidential election.
“Obviously, it was an enthusiastic good morning for some, and for others it was a sad event,” said Martin. " Knowing that art is what we turn to when rhetoric and language break down, I thought, wouldn’t it be interesting to see how people express their emotions around these two extremes? Might there be a way to bridge?"
The exhibition will have art, spoken word and music, among other media. It will feature 26 visual artists, 11 writers and eight musicians who created art based on the prompt of what comes to mind when you hear “Good Morning/Mourning America.”
“People express their feelings in different ways. Some people do it visually, some through music, writing and spoken word,” said Wills. “I wanted it to be an equal opportunity for anybody to express what they needed to express.”
Artists who were representative of the theme were chosen out of over 50 submissions, and were then they were juried. The winner of each category will receive a cash prize of $500 and their work will be showcased at Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth during the closing reception.
Several events will also take place during the week of the exhibition, including an opening reception and The Next Morning/Mourning Coffee, which will have select artists performing on the gallery lawn. There will also be a closing reception and a panel discussion at the museum Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth.
Both Martin and Wills sought to create a safe environment that brings everyone to the table. They hope to make this a yearly event.
“I just really hope people come so they can hear and witness and listen and remember what it’s like to just sit down and talk to people who don’t vote the same or think the same on things,” said Martin. “Like the good old days before it became such a dividing line. These are our friends and neighbors.”
Details: Aug. 22 to Aug. - 28 at Gallery 440, 440 S Main St, Fort Worth. Free.
The Go See DFW calendar is a partnership between KERA and The Dallas Morning News.
Arts Access is an arts journalism collaboration powered by The Dallas Morning News and KERA.
This community-funded journalism initiative is funded by the Better Together Fund, Carol & Don Glendenning, City of Dallas OAC, The University of Texas at Dallas, Communities Foundation of Texas, The Dallas Foundation, Eugene McDermott Foundation, James & Gayle Halperin Foundation, Jennifer & Peter Altabef and The Meadows Foundation. The News and KERA retain full editorial control of Arts Access’ journalism.
