Guiding Ethos

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- CURATORIAL STATEMENT -

How do we tell honest stories in the twenty-first century?

Cultural discourse in the late 20th and early 21st century has been largely defined by polarized campaigns, such as the multiculturalism of the 1990s and Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion (DEI) in the 2020s, versus the respective backlashes—e.g. great replacement conspiracy theorists, Project 2025. There have been significant wins in cultural representation but also the dismantling of programs like Critical Race Theory and Affirmative Action. In response to Black Lives Matter protests and the murder of George Floyd in 2020, many institutions implemented DEI campaigns in an effort to correct for past inequities in their hiring, sourcing, and programming. Yet only five years later, orders from the oval office have pressured organizations to shut their DEI programs down, with many complying and further sowing public distrust in institutional efforts under the names of inclusion and progress.

Guiding Ethos was borne from a persistent question I have grappled with—is it possible to create ethical and honest work in the context of colonial systems, in a nation built on a foundation of enslavement, exploitation, and stolen land? Are diversity initiatives destined to be coopted, exploited, and mistrusted—and then met with resentment and retaliation? What does genuine reclamation of cultural authorship mean?

The artists in this exhibition utilize a multiplicity of strategies for record-making and storytelling. Some of these artists are more straightforward documentarians, who record underrepresented events and histories via photographs, filmmaking, and interviews. Others wield the powers of allegory, ritual, and symbolism through paintings, drawings, textile, and sculpture. Some directly challenge the representation of historical and ongoing political events and build tools for protest, community action, and care. Others draw us towards a moment of reflection, in which we might experience the power of a personal epiphany.

As a curator, I also sought to create dialogues between different artists’ works, which in turn makes each specific story more expansive. The commonality underlying all these works is stories that serve as guideposts, that steward long-term, collective memory and help shape the kinds of people we become. Arts and cultural institutions are also getting put to the test—what will historical archives reveal of the work shown in these spaces during this time?

Despite the efforts of those who benefit from current oppressive systems, the most well-funded propaganda campaigns and manipulative media tactics cannot erase what people know to be true about themselves and their community histories. When a government or corporation or institution learns to abuse its power over public narratives, the mainstream media story does not become true. Abuse of power is almost destined to become a caricature of itself, and people and their communities always find ways for their own stories to survive.

I see the work of the artists in this exhibition as contributions to cultural literacy. I also see the acts of physical art and record-making as crucial in an era of digital misinformation and erasure, rise of Artificial Intelligence, removal of content on taxpayer-funded government websites, and onset of tech-authoritarianism. Finally, I see these artists’ works as acts of immense generosity and good faith. Nobody owes us their stories, and to be invited to experience them is also to be asked to do better with the knowledge we now carry.

By curating these artists together, I am also placing confidence in the intelligence of the public to make connections between the stories here. These are different people’s local stories shaped and connected by the same global phenomena. If we, the public, hold these stories with the care and integrity that they deserve; if we commit to learning; if we accept the social responsibilities of correcting harm and wrongdoing; then perhaps we are finally ready to build a world where everyone—not just the privileged few—can live and do better.