Martin Luther King Jr. Day Teen Arts Installation
This installation consists of art by local teens in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day. This artwork recognizes the importance of this federal holiday and Black History Month in February. Many youths are deeply committed to learning about Black History and the role that Cape Ann and the North Shore played in the civil rights movement.
The artwork in this installation uses non-traditional materials including thread, spray paint, gouache, and collage to reflect the different aspects of the ever-evolving movement for racial justice and equality. By shifting the compositional perspective in each piece, the artists challenge the viewer to reckon with their preconceived notions about the civil rights movement.
In the collage on the left, Dr. King is painted holding a torch which portrays him as a figure of liberty. He is somber and tired, like many who have been fighting for civil rights for far too long. In the top right, protestors are elevated above firemen, switching the power dynamic to highlight the demonstrators’ united front. In contrast, the final piece focuses in on the open wound that has persisted in black and brown communities since the beginning of our nation. The threads of these artworks connect the intergenerational fight for equality from Dr. King’s time to present day.