Embedded Files
Taking the Lead
Taking the Lead
In June of 2019, I started an internship at the Minnesota History Center in the Exhibits Department. At first, I was hired to help guide the research for an upcoming exhibit about the #metoo movement. I had worked on a previous project about sexual assault and violence in the Twin Cities, and so was already in tune to some of the work that was being done by advocates in various organizations throughout the region.
However, I quickly took on a leadership role, and was designated as the Lead Exhibit Developer for the project. It was a daunting task --- not only is the subject a very close one to me, but history institutions like the History Center have scarcely reckoned with the #metoo movement and its historical implications.
As an activist, I knew it was my responsibility to not only do an exhibit on #metoo, but also to provide a space for those who have been marginalized by the larger movement to share their stories. I knew, then, that the exhibit would have to:
- Be collaborative
- Include underrepresented voices
- Highlight intersectionality
- Situate #metoo within larger systems of oppression
The following is a bit more information about my process and the resulting physical exhibit.
The Stories
The Stories
Completing an exhibit of this scale and intensity in a short time frame was difficult. To narrow the scope, my team and I decided to focus on the stories of six different women, all survivors or advocates, and all women of color and indigenous women save one.
Two stories, the story of Carolen Bailey and Cece McDonald, were crafted from archival materials they had donated to the Minnesota Historical Society and the Tretter Collection at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities.
The story of Rachel, an enslaved woman who won her freedom in the mid-nineteenth century, was also crafted from various historic records and materials.
The other three stories, those of Patina Park, Sia Her, and Ivette Izea-Martinez, were constructed organically through our conversations. The exhibit would not have been successful without their willingness to share their stories and time with me. For that, I will always be gratfeul and humbled by the fact that I got to know and work with such powerful women.
Collective Traumas
Collective Traumas
The physical exhibit was designed by Therese Scheller, although the whole team was eager and excited to assist with creating a concept.
Many team members wanted the exhibit to be highly visual and minimal. In the end, we made a conscious choice to go forward with a design that included six red silhouettes against larger crowd silhouettes. Although each silhouette holds a woman's story, no image is given of the individual. Instead, the story is gifted the most space, and the multiplicity of looming figures reminds the viewer that sexual violence is a collective issue, filled with numerous layers of community trauma.
The back wall tells a broader story through statistics rendered in highly visual and striking lettering and numbering.
A Night to Remember
A Night to Remember
On October 29, 2019, we held the opening reception for the exhibit at the Minnesota History Center. Councilwoman Andrea Jenkins gave a keynote speech, followed by Patina Park, Taylor Hall from OutFront Minnesota, and Ivette Izea-Martinez.
I was in charge of planning the event, and wanted to make sure the space felt inclusive and welcoming. Through live music from Walker West, catered food from Soul Bowl, and spoken word, the night exceeded all my expectations!
Page updated
Google Sites
Report abuse