The Davis Museum at Wellesley College presents Artists Take Action! Recent Acquisitions from the Davis, an exhibition of approximately 25 posters and prints addressing a variety of political and social issues. Works by Francisco de Goya, Shepard Fairey, Keith Haring, The Guerilla Girls, Sue Coe and others call attention to societal concerns, including sexism, racism, war, the AIDS epidemic, and climate change. The exhibition, co-curated by Meredith Fluke, Kemper Curator of Academic Exhibitions and Affairs, and Patricia Berman, Theodora L. and Stanley H. Feldberg Professor of Art, Wellesley College, will be on view in the Robert and Claire Freedman Lober Viewing Alcove Gallery from February 13 through June 10, 2018.

“Over the past decade, the Davis has built a collection of posters and prints—both historical and contemporary—that directly engage with political and social issues. Artists produce these works for a variety of motivations and audiences, but all seek to challenge the abuse of power,” said Meredith Fluke. “Although the works range in date over two centuries, all are still applicable in today’s political climate. One particularly prescient example is Rupert García’s 1973 ¡Cesen Deportación!”

The historical moment in which each work was created varies. For example, some of the prints were sold to fund social causes, others were posted in public areas; some of the posters were carried at rallies, while others were distributed through collective portfolios and galleries. The selection historically contextualizes the artists while highlighting their shared impulse to protest social injustice and advocate for change, arguing that this ambition remains relevant for artists and collecting institutions today.

The exhibition is presented in conjunction with the Wellesley College seminar, The Arts of Dissent, taught by collaborating faculty member, Patricia Berman. “The visual arts play a critical role in shaping identity and formulating opinion,” said Professor Berman. “The exhibition allows visitors to see—up-close—ways in which the visual arts are central features of social protest movements.”

Artists Take Action! will be accompanied by a Davis mobile app. Over the course of the semester, students from The Arts of Dissent will contribute content with their own interpretations of the works of art in the exhibition. The Davis app is available for download at http://app.thedavis.org.

Artists Take Action! Recent Acquisitions from the Davis is presented with generous support from The Mary Tebbetts Wolfe ‘54 Davis Museum Program Fund.