IMAGO DEI: Confronting the Ongoing Legacy of Racism

This exhibition presents a contemporary survey of thematic concerns of racism from a viewpoint of recognition in search of redemption. The title Imago Dei is a theological term denoting the symbolic relation between God and humanity as noted in Genesis 1:27, wherein "God created man in his own image." The exhibition explores how this concept is seen across all ethnicities and how the world has reacted to various cultures and human identities across different skin tones and cultural backgrounds.

The moral implications of the doctrine of imago Dei are that all of God's creation should not only love Him but also love other humans created in His image. The exhibition examines how the struggle to abide by this principle has played out historically in the face of racism. Since legacy denotes something being handed down, the "Ongoing Legacy of Racism" implies intentionality from one person to another, from either an intra- or intergenerational perspective.

The exhibition seeks to explore what it looks like to begin or continue challenging the power of this legacy in ways that shift racism from an intentional socio-ethnic process to a historically outdated mode of operation. This approach highlights both the systemic and personal nature of racism, and allows for historical, theological, and pragmatic approaches to oppression, opposition, and experiential diversity. Exhibition dates: January 25 - May 18, 2016. Artists must submit 1-3 images. National eligibility.