About the exhibition
Artist and Andrew W. Mellon Foundation James Gallery Fellow Jennifer Jones (Ph.D. Program in Art History) has created two new multimedia works for the windows of the James Gallery to engage with the public along Fifth Avenue during this election season.
Her thoughtful approachable works, "Ode to Enfranchisement" and "How Do You Do Democracy?" are continuations of her ongoing Operation Lady Liberty project, begun in 2018. This participatory initiative is designed to provoke reflection and dialogue on voting rights and the political process in the United States. The concrete poem banner “Ode to Enfranchisement” (2024) delves into the modern and contemporary history of the voting rights movement, encapsulating its struggles. "How Do You Do Democracy?" (2024) made in the style of neon, on the other hand, poses a personal and existential inquiry into the nature of democratic participation. Accompanying this work is a QR code that invites passersby to contribute their own stories, reflecting on how they have, do, or will exercise their agency in this crucial democratic process.
Please join on October 15, 2024 at 6pm in the James Gallery for "Art and Activism, Activism and Art," including a publication launch, voter registration celebration, and conversation between Jennifer Jones and Professor Gregory Sholette (Social Practice CUNY), the third in her series of public conversations on embodied artistic research including Deborah Thomas and Black Gotham Experience.
