In the month of January, our community celebrates Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., civil rights, and the idea of freedom. In his famous speech “I Have a Dream” from the March on Washington in 1963, Martin Luther King clarified his dream for freedom. In honor of the profound legacy of his work, we asked artists in our school and greater community to consider: What is your dream of freedom? How can we work to achieve freedom today? How can we promote, preserve, and/or celebrate freedom? What will it take to be, in MLK’s words, “Free at last”? The art works in this exhibit were created in response to this prompt.
Reflections on freedom
A total of 13 New Hampshire based artists contributed to the works now on display at New Hampton School’s Galletly Gallery. There is a wide range of media from art quilts made from hand dyed and printed fabrics, to mixed media collage, relief prints, large scale encaustic and acrylic paintings, among others. All the works are personal and profound reflections on ‘freedom’ today.
Susan Wei, Ashland, NH
Susan Wei from Ashland, New Hampshire features several art quilts in the exhibit. She writes of her mixed media quilt of babies behind wire, Children Are Not Criminals: “I have a dream of a world without artificial borders and people can move freely from place to place to find a life of meaning and abundance in which to prosper and grow. Where human spirits can deepen, and understanding is fostered in every educational institution in every village or city. No more imprisoning children in holding camps where they cannot see their families and have no one to care for them, plan their education, nutrition and welfare.”
Charlie Smith, New Hampton, NH
Charlie Smith, artist and visual arts teacher at New Hampton School, has two very different installations included in the exhibit that both fit this statement: “At a time when so much of the world defines each other by differences, it is important to remember and discover what unites us. We have far more in common with our fellow man than we often realize. If we would let ourselves see past skin tone, ethnicity, religious affiliation, or country of origin, we find that our shared passions are in great abundance and our common goals are many. This work explores the cultural and geographic boundaries that define, and sometimes hinder, our interactions with one another.
Adele Sanborn, Boscawen, NH
Adele Sanborn of Cornerstone Design at Twiggs Gallery in Boscawen, New Hampshire creates mixed media work with handmade papers, photography, and calligraphy. In her piece So Powerful she is “challenging each of us to consider another view, a more positive approach and to do it now….in this minute. What an important difference each of us could make if we could come together in “the light of unity”.
Exhibition of I Have a Dream is now open
I Have a Dream will be on display in New Hampton School’s Galletly Gallery from January 7 – January 31, 2018. The public is cordially invited to a reception for the artists on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, (Monday, January 21), from 5:30 – 7:00 pm. The exhibit is free and open to the public. The Galletly Gallery is located on the second floor of New Hampton School’s Moore Center; it’s hours are Monday through Friday from 8 am to 4 pm, and on Saturdays from 9 am to noon.
Founded in 1821, New Hampton School is an independent, co-educational, college preparatory secondary school of 315 students who come from over 28 states and 30 countries. An International Baccalaureate school, New Hampton School cultivates lifelong learners who will serve as active global citizens. Students benefit from an average class size of 11 and a student-faculty ratio of five to one. For more information, please visit www.newhampton.org.
