Natalia Rodriguez
Arts Editor
“Visions of Democracy,” an exhibition led predominantly by high school students, kicked off with a reception Friday at the Ginger Elliott Gallery at the Garner House in Claremont.
Approximately 50 people gathered to view the exhibition, which tackled themes of democracy and the different ways people come to view and express the idea.
Students from Claremont, Pomona, La Verne and surrounding cities were encouraged to submit their pieces to the show.
“More than written and spoken word really can, visual art and symbolism really connects to people on a deeper level,” Annabelle Brusky, curator and senior at Claremont High School, said. “Being able to communicate complex political topics through symbols is the most effective way to do so.”
Brusky added two of her pieces in the show, both paintings on canvas.
“The Subway” depicts a group of people on a train, faces blurred, which highlights the not-frequently thought-of sense of community present in public transportation.
“Challenger,” on the other hand, showcases the 1986 Space Shuttle Challenger launching into the atmosphere.
The original Challenger was a shuttle launched Jan. 28, 1986, that exploded a mere 73 seconds into its flight, killing the seven crew members onboard.
This work portrays the resilience of the human spirit despite oppression, something oftentimes found in democracy.
Brusky, alongside artists Reyhan Garcia, Tara Neemuchwala, Dorlhe Mendoza, Jazzlyn Innabi and Catherine Zhang, participated in a panel to discuss their work and address any questions those in attendance may have had about it.
Neemuchwala’s three-photo series is a product of the Feb. 4 walkout in Claremont, where students at Claremont High School skipped their fifth and sixth period classes to protest U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
“So many thousands of students engaged on that day and I wanted to paint a comprehensive picture of what that moment felt like,” Neemuchwala, senior at CHS, said.
The photos focus on the signs created and the action rather than the people protesting. Neemuchwala mentioned wanting the audience to see themselves in the piece.
“To put yourself into somebody else’s shoes and to be able to envision yourself actually in the moment,” Neemuchwala said.
Innabi, a junior at CHS who also presented photos and a video from the walkout, expressed a similar idea.
“My message behind this whole series, ‘A Story for the History Books,’ is that you’re never too young to share your voice,” Innabi said. “Even though we’re in high school … even though our brains haven’t developed, we’re not childish.”
“We know what’s going on and we’re coming together just to talk about it.”
Zhang’s piece, “Democracy on Thin ICE,” is a painting on canvas that references a photo taken by Innabi’s older sister, Jenelle Innabi.
The work illustrates a group of people facing the audience as they hold up anti-ICE signs with smiles on their faces.
“Art, in my opinion, has a lot of power, especially if done right,” Zhang, junior at CHS, said.
Zhang stated that this particular picture inspired her and the idea of equality in democracy so much so that she decided to paint it almost immediately upon seeing it.
Mendoza’s piece, a charcoal drawing titled “A House of Cards,” depicts Kratos on one side as the King of Diamonds and Aspasia of Miletus as the Ace of Spades as the reflection.
Aspasia was a Greek philosopher who was also regarded as Socrates’ teacher. Despite her influence on early ideas of democracy and her presence in intellectual circles, she was not given much power, being both a woman and an immigrant.
“I thought about how marginalized communities, women, people of color, Indigenous … have been excluded from the active process of democracy,” Mendoza said.
Kratos, on the other hand, is the personification of sovereign rule and power. His depiction as King is meant to reflect the idea that those at the top are the ones with the right to make and enforce the rules.
“Power is not from these figures that we hold up on a pedestal,” Mendoza said. “Power is not in the king of diamonds; power is not held by authorities, or institutions or the government.”
“It’s held by us and it’s held by the choices that we make … and we have that responsibility to build upon what we think our vision of democracy should look like.”
The exhibition ran in the Ginger Elliott Center until Sunday. “Visions of Democracy” will be moving to The dA Center for the Arts in Pomona to be a part of their current “Si Se Puede Arte Campeónx” exhibition.
For more information, visit dacenter.org/sisepuede26.
Natalia Rodriguez can be reached at natalia.rodriguez@laverne.edu.
Natalia Rodriguez is a senior creative writing and communications major. She is a member of ULV's The Blank Page Writer's Club and has served as a staff member for the school's literary magazine, Prism Review. She is currently arts editor and a staff photographer for the Campus Times and previously served as a staff writer.
