Moving Voices, Asheville Art Museum

Moving Voices premiered on June 2nd as a multimedia response to the  powerful graphic works of the Hear Our Voice exhibit on view in the Asheville Art Museum Gallery On the Slope. The work explores the voice as expressed through movement and recognizes the power of the creative process and honors the diversity found in the body as our artistic instrument. Inspiration was drawn from the Women’s March pledge, personal experiences of the March, as well as the text and graphics of the posters to create both a live performance as well as the movement interviews layered on video.

In solidarity with our families, friends, neighbors, coworkers and communities, we collectively stand for dignity, justice and freedom in the face of attacks on our health care, our identities and our lives. When one community is harmed, all of our communities are harmed. We are all part of one movement, and we pledge allegiance to the survival and liberation of all people.

Hear Our Voice, Every Minute is a Chance to Change the World, We the People defend our dignity, We the People are greater than fear, We the People protect eachother, We Stand Together, The Rights of All are in your Hands, Let Equality Bloom, Stand, Unite, Fight, We the Resilient, Resist, We Will Rise, Power in Colors, Our Work is Everywhere, We are the Key…

Through the vision of the Amplifier Foundation art was put into the hands of the people to bring to the space of the Women’s March and through the vision of Moving Voices art was put into the hands of Asheville dancers to bring to the space of the museum.  I love to create work that shares art amongst people rather than art that is held at arm’s length.

Art of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the Earth. 

Thank you to Jenni Cockrell and Mikhale Sherrill for creating with me and performing live for the project. Thank you to all who contributed to the video movement and spoken interviews: Sharon Cooper, Jojo Cooper, Melissa Wilhoit Lugo, Shari Azar, Constance Humphries, Susan Collard, Michele Torino Hower, Erin Connors, and Shar Hampton. And thank you to the the artists who keep making and the individuals and organizations, especially the Asheville Art Museum and Amplifier Foundation, who support the power of the creative process.