This collaborative display showcases the efforts and achievements of Central Piedmont students and employees in the realms of art and advocacy over the course of six decades; portraying how the creative minds of our community generate powerful works of art and impactful works of advocacy for our society and beyond.
The exhibition starts with highlights of student-created works from a variety of fields, from engineering to creative writing and photography. It then focuses on Central Piedmont graduate John H. White. His documentation of African-American communities in Chicago's South Side neighborhood earned him the Pulitzer Prize in 1982. His everlasting presence continues to encourage and inspire Central Piedmont students to "shoot from the heart" and "Keep In Flight!" In closing, the exhibition takes a closer look at advocacy-related initiatives carried out for students and by students.
A special thanks to Jesse Bennett, Jennifer Conway, Michael Long, Dr. Alain Miatudila, Amelia Zytka, members of Phi Lambda, members of the Charlotte Racial Justice Consortium, and most importantly, the students of Central Piedmont, for their support, guidance, and inspiration for developing this exhibition.
Quote by Alicia M. Hopkins from ArtsNow.
The arts as a “concept” is a powerful tool for storytelling, for educating, for connecting, and for advocating. The arts can take many forms - song, creative writing, sculpture, dance/theater, photography, digital design, 3-dimensional design - the possibilities are endless.
All patrons of the arts have a different experience. Some may notice the nuance of the strokes, others may notice the emotion captured in an image, while others experience the work in a way the designer never intended. That is the beauty of art; it gives a voice to the voiceless and a platform for those without a stage.
Throughout this exhibit, we encourage our audience to see the objects on display as both works of art and works of advocacy. Some items showcased here were created for class credit, others as a creative outlet, and some as an advocacy tool. These items were selected based on their beauty as well as their ability to advocate for causes greater than ourselves.
We all have a role to play as creators, educators, and innovators. We hope this exhibition will inspire you to support whatever causes are dear to you and create something that can support that cause.
