Inclusion in A Critical Conversation
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Logo for A Critical Conversation by Claire Osborn
When I was asked if some of my poetry could be included in an art exhibit that focuses on the intersections of art, race, and privilege, my first response was one I expect most artists can identify with. My impostor syndrome flared up like a gas can held too close to the fire. I thought, “My work doesn’t belong there. That’s for real artists.” I wasn’t reacting that way because they wanted to include poetry in the exhibit. I thought that kind of interdisciplinary inclusion was a feature, a kind of metaphor for the interracial conversation the show is all about. But even then, shouldn’t they find real poets?
My next reaction was more pragmatic. I did not want to be a part of the kinds of conversations about race I’ve heard about at some conventions, where a panel of white artists tell a predominantly white audience about racism. I told the curator, artist Kathleen Caprario, that my role, as a cishet white man who wants to learn to be a better ally, is to be a signal booster and promote the voices of traditionally marginalized people. I told her I wouldn’t feel comfortable taking a spot from a person of color. She appreciated that and included Lydia K. Valentine, a poet I greatly admire and think of as a real poet. But Kathleen told me she wanted to create the kind of conversation that would include a cishet white male voice, also. To Kathleen’s credit, the artists included in the exhibition are very diverse, far more than is representative of the demographics of Oregon, the most historically racially exclusionary state in the US. Last night Kathleen hosted a party (online because that’s where we all live now), and I got to hear from some of the artists about their work and the questions they were posing through it. I was a bit star-struck by their insight and creativity, and I am honored to have my work close to theirs. I want to send a heartfelt thanks to Kathleen Caprario and Gregory S. Black who created the exhibit, Eugene Contemporary Arts where it is displayed, the supporters of the arts who have made it possible, and, more than anything, to the other artists who didn’t hook a finger in my direction and say, “What the hell is this guy doing here?”
The exhibit is open from Jan 14 – March 21, 2021 and is on display online as well as in person, so check out their amazing work HERE. There will also be opportunities to come view it live, including some demonstrations of some of the art being created (make an appointment HERE), and there will be online panel discussions with some of the artists announced on their website HERE.