At Dartmouth, I divided my time between studying for my art history classes and organizing for activist groups. When friends found out that I was an art history major, the vast majority of them would say, “I just can’t get into art. It makes no sense to me,” or, “Oh, I just love the Impressionists and Picasso. What do you think of the last Rodin retrospective at the Met?” My politically minded friends, regardless of how much they appreciated art, did not see the politics involved in it. Art is an intimate part of the way I understand and see the world around me. However, in most of my interactions with others, I was at a loss for how to communicate that art is not separate from the rest of society—in fact, it is deeply entrenched in every aspect of our day-to-day lives.

I created this exhibition with the intention of making art accessible by relating it back to social issues of our present moment. Art, I contend, is inherently political. To strip art of its existence outside of the museum or gallery obscures the labor and politics that shape its production. Being attentive to the labor involved in art reveals the crucial ways art is tied to women, people of color, the working class, and people of disenfranchised nations.

I hope this VSFD helps give viewers a way to engage with art through social issues, and empowers the casual observer to question and critique art and its institutions.

Seeing this online exhibition through to completion was a challenging but extremely rewarding process. This experience has greatly informed my goal to continue to study art and relate it back to the people who often get ignored, but on whom the rest of society depends. I have learned so much about exhibition-making, communicating ideas, and creating a space for art online. I am tremendously grateful to the Hood for giving me this opportunity, and to Amelia Kahl and Katherine Hart for their help and guidance.