Speaking Volumes Art

SPEAKING VOLUMES:

TRANSFORMING HATE

“The Network is always on the cutting edge of efforts curtailing the bigotry and anti-Semitism that is fueling the white nationalism targeting our communities today. Speaking Volumes: Transforming Hate is an outstanding example of the Network’s efforts.”

– Eric Ward, civil rights strategist & Executive Director at Western States Center

In the 1990s, the Montana Human Rights Network began to research and organize against white nationalist groups, including one now called The Creativity Movement. In 2003, a defecting leader of that group gave the Network 4100 copies of books that promote anti-Semitism, violence, racism, homophobia, and bigotry. Network directors conceived the idea of transforming the books into art art as a tool to organize resistance to white nationalism.

They invited Helena’s Holter Museum of Art to curate the exhibition. Artists from across the country responded enthusiastically to our invitation to transform white supremacist books into thought-provoking works. The Speaking Volumes: Transforming Hate exhibition and accompanying programs are designed to increase awareness, stimulate dialogue, and motivate positive actions for equal rights.

Since it first opened at the Holter Museum in 2008, Speaking Volumes has traveled from coast to coast, to over 27 different museums and galleries.Organizations and venues interested in booking the show can contact MHRN at network@mhrn.org

In the works, artists do transform hate. Even as they help us to bear witness to injustice, they also narrate personal and humanizing stories, show compassion for victims and perpetrators, juxtapose unlike elements to stimulate critical thinking, collaborate with others, use humor to break through barriers, and invite us into deeper dialogue with each other. Their works tell us that radical transformation is possible. Love can materialize through art. Please join communities across the nation who have explored this exhibition, practiced these strategies, and built stronger movements for justice.

After touring for a decade, the exhibition returned to Helena and the Holter Museum from October through December 2018. The exhibition included six new artists whose work addresses the political, social, historical, and environmental consequences of white supremacy as it moves from the margins to the mainstream of American society. The Network and other community partners in Helena also offered programs that highlight the goal of transforming hate that are available for replication in other communities. A list of the programmatic events here.

See Past Tour Venues

See Artists Lists

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Dana Boussard Arlee, Montana HATE BEGINS AT HOME Books, lumber (8x8x10 Ariana Boussard-Reifel New York, New York Between the Lines Paper, 15 by 38 by 5 incheshttps://arianaboussardreifel.com/

Dana Boussard & Ariana Boussard-Reifel

John Buck Bozeman, Montana Phoenix Rising Woodcut print, 57 x 45 inches http://www.johnbuckart.com/

John Buck

Enrique Chagoya California El Regreso del Canibal Macrobiotico (The Return of the Macrobiotic Cannibal) 8pp book: lithography, artist http://www.artnet.com/artists/enrique-chagoya/

Enrique Chagoya

Jack Daws Seattle, Washington STRANGE FRUIT, 2007 Tire and rope, variable dimensions Born 1970, Stab KY. Lives and works in Seattle WA. http://www.jackdawsart.com/

Jack Daws

Jean Grosser Hartsville, South Carolina Shrines Wood, photo, paper, gold leaf, 14 x 6 x 3 https://www.jeangrosser.com/about

Jean Grosser

Valerie Hellerman Helena, Montana Transmission 24

Valerie Hellerman

Lisa Jarrett Missoula, Montana In Equality (Triptych) 36 x 36 x 4 https://www.lisajarrett.com/

Lisa Jarrett

http://katieknight.net

Katie Knight

Hello, my name is Maria Guerra, I http://www.billiegracelynn.com/

Billie Lynn

Ryan Sarah Murphy New York, New York Take Heed and Tremble Mixed media, 8 by 8 by 12.5 inches https://www.ryansarahmurphy.com/

Ryan Sarah Murphy

Barbara Romain Los Angeles, California Dialogue: Peace and Dialogue: Star Acrylic, 72 by 72 inches each http://www.barbararomain.com/

Barbara Romain

Clarissa Sligh Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Triptych Photography, 20 x 14 http://clarissasligh.com/

Clarissa Sligh

Cathy Weber Dillon, Montana Racial Holy War Oil on gessoed paper, 15 by 38 by 5 inches http://www.cathyweber.net/

Cathy Weber

Kristin Casaletto Augusta, Georgia CondemNation Series of 11 Mixed media india ink and charcoal paintings, 14 http://www.kristincasaletto.com/

Kristin Casaletto

http://crowsshadow.org/artist/corwin-clairmont/

Corwrin Clairmont

Jane Waggoner Deschner Billings, Montana The Way things Go, and Don http://www.janedeschner.com/

Jane Waggoner Deschner

Miguel Guillen

http://www.timholmesstudio.com/

Tim Holmes

David Kamm Decorah, Iowa (In)Visible Transforming Device Collage, 28 x 20 inches

David Kamm

Lewis Koch

Robbie McClaran Portland, Oregon Timothy Mc Viegh Lambda Print, 30 by 40 inches https://mcclaran.com/

Robbie McClaran

Richard Notkin Helena, Montana The Sleep of Reason (after Goya) Terra cotta and wood frame, 4.25 by 20 by 1.75 inches This is What You Were Born For (After Goya) Terra cotta and wood frame, 4.5 x 15.5 x .75 inches https://artaxis.org/richard-notkin/

Richard Notkin

Faith Ringgold Englewood, New Jersey Hate is a Sin Acrylic on paper, 20 http://www.faithringgold.com/ringgold/collect.htm

Faith Ringgold

http://www.maggyrhiltner.com/

Maggy Rozycki Hiltner

Tim Speyer Helena, Montana School Days Mixed media collaboration with students, x by x by x inches

Tim Speyer

Valetta Westtown, Pennsylvania Poison Pens & Love Potions Fabric, wood, book, 60 x 48 http://www.valettaartist.com/

Valetta

Nick Cave Chicago, Illinois Profiling Mixed media, 18 x 12 x 6 inches http://www.artnet.com/artists/nick-cave/

Nick Cave

Lei Curtis Charleston, Illinois Superior Sculpture, 24 x 48

Lei Curtis

Stephen Glueckert Missoula, Montana Smoke & Mirrors Mixed media, 17 x 17 x 19 inches

Stephen Glueckert

Charles Gute New York Whitewash Wordswap Piezo print on canvas, 47 x 36 http://charlesgute.com/

Charles Gute

Marilyn Humphries Boston Massachusetts Recruit and Rally Halide print, 30 x 24 http://www.humphriesphotography.com/Artist.asp?ArtistID=24827&Akey=JLB3KNWC

Marilyn Humphries

Maria Karametou Bethesda, Maryland A New Page Mixed media, 22 by 27 by 3 inches http://mariakarametou.com/

Maria Karametou

http://www.shellymurney.com/ http://marcmorris.net/

Marc Morris & Shelly Murney

Hello, mEllen Ornitz Bozeman, Montana Study of Falling Hands # 2 Ceramic, concrete,18 x 18 x 2

Ellen Ornitz

Jaune Quick-to-See Smith and Neal Ambrose-Smith Corrales New Mexico Blue Eyes, Brown Eyes 24 color digital photographs in grid, 30-3/8 http://jaunequick-to-seesmith.com/ http://indianspacepainters.com/

Jaune Quick-to-See Smith and Neal Ambrose-Smith

Jim Riswold Portland, Oregon The Hitlermobile Color digital print on Hahnemühle photo rag 308 Edition of 15, 40 x 40 https://www.jimriswold.com/

Jim Riswold

Scott Schuldt Seattle, Washington Unbound Beadwork, printed canvas. Linen, 31 x 22 http://scottschuldt.com/index.html

Scott Schuldt

Sara Steele Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Out of Ashes - A Thousand Cranes Watercolor and gold leaf, 4 http://www.sarasteele.com/

Sara Steele

The exhibition and its accompanying educational materials are now available nationwide. Bring this programming to your community by contacting us network@mhrn.org!