"Through Your Looking Glass" Opening Reception—Oct. 15, 2022
"Peace is what unites us all" by Cecily Farris and Cecelia Carr, 6th grade, Saxe Middle School. Spray paint
Jose “Joey” Diaz, a Norwalk resident and ninth-grader at the Academy of Information Technology and Engineering in Stamford, originally planned to portray a hand reaching out in his submission for an art exhibition that opened this weekend at the New Canaan Museum & Historical Society.
Jose “Joey” Diaz, a ninth-grader at the Academy of Information Technology Engineering, with his work “We All Bleed Red” (acrylics, markers). Credit: Michael Dinan
But “I kind of messed it up,” Diaz said Saturday from a second-floor gallery at the Oenoke Ridge nonprofit organization, standing near his acrylics-and-markers work titled “We All Bleed Red.”
“And I turned it into something else, which was a fist,” Diaz said. “I did a lot of blood on the knuckles and everywhere. It kind of shows how much people suffer, from police brutality, hate crimes. All of that. We all bleed the same in big letters here. And I don’t understand why we hate each other, because we literally all bleed the same.”
The work is one of 23 pieces from middle and high school students in New Canaan, Greenwich, Norwalk and Stamford that are featured in the exhibition “Through Your Looking Glass.” Presented by New Canaan-based Stand Together Against Racism and The Glass House, the exhibition is designed to inspire viewers to think about social justice explored using architecture, art and design as a medium for expression. It will be on display through Oct. 29.
Visitors streamed through the Susan Bishop Gallery at NCM&HS during a two-hour opening reception, mixing with the artists and their families, as well as staff and volunteers from the sponsoring organizations. Selectman Nick Williams was among the notable locals in attendance.
L-R: Susan Borst, Christa Carr, Greg Sages, Fatou Niang and Shona Goldenberg. Credit: Michael Dinan
Fatou Niang, founder of STAR, said her own organization learned that The Glass House had already started putting together a project working with local organizations that would be “designed with a social justice lens.”
“And we thought we [STAR] were a perfect match and so we submitted an application,” Niang said. “And so thanks to a grant from The Glass House, we were able to put this together.”
Christa Carr, communications director at The Glass House said she was “touched” and “delighted” at the outcome.
“So many students took the time to make art works that came from the heart,” Carr said. “It’s really beautiful and I’m proud of what they did.”
An amazing exhibit overflowing with creativity, passion and big ideas. An inspiring exhibit hopefully everyone in town gets the chance to check out. Congratulations to everyone at STAR, the New Canaan Historical Society and, of course, the artists. The future of impactful creative expression is in great hands.
Bravo, S.T.A.R., for dreaming this rich multimedia art exhibition into being. And, to The New Canaan Historical Society and Glass House for supporting the youngest artists in our community and beyond. It is a thrilling thing to live in a small town with big cultural shifts, underfoot, and to see the exquisite, tender, loving care painted, beaded and edited into each social activist’s dream of life was/is strong stuff! Bravo, Bravo to these artists, and the patrons who champion art, artists and healthy social change in America.