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The Curb Center

The Curb Center

Spring 2025: Art and Democracy

The red doors of the Curb Center

 

Spring semester’s theme of Art and Democracy is an exploration of the role of art in civic life. It is critical in the current political landscape to empower artists who are involved with democratic processes and interested in creating a better world for all members of society. Here at The Curb Center, we value artistic inquiry as a powerful tool for affecting public life.

“In these unprecedented times, it is more important than ever to gather with our community and engage with art together. At the center of both artistic practice and democracy is voice: the act of hearing and of being heard. The work we will be engaging with is centered on individuals who have gone to great lengths to make their voices heard and to listen to the voices of their communities. 

We are thrilled to be hosting some amazing artists and thinkers who are interested in the role of art in our political system this spring and are looking forward to fostering some meaningful conversations here at The Curb Center.”

-Director Leah Lowe

 

Changemakers of the 21st Century

Vanderbilt students in Dr. Jack Crawford’s History of Portraiture course have selected fifteen paintings form Robert Shetterly’s series Americans Who Tell The Truth. This curation depicts brave citizens who have spoken truth to power within the last twenty years, such as Tarana Burke, founder of the MeToo movement; NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden; and LGBTQ rights lawyer Mary Bonauto.

This exhibition will be opening on January 23rd, with a reception from 4:30-6:30 pm. This event will be open to the public and include refreshments and words from both Dr. Jack Crawford and Curb Center director Leah Lowe as well as attendance by the student curators. This work will be on display until April 17th, 2025.

Shetterly’s series contains 275 portraits in total, all of American truth tellers throughout history. These portraits have been exhibited in 38 states, been used as educational tools through a variety of teaching programs, and been printed into four art books. The portraits each feature a single activist making eye contact with the viewer on a plain single-color background and an etched quote: an invitation to learn more about their life and impact. This series is defined by democratic artistic inquiry: Shetterly asks in his most recent artist statement, “Do we want to construct our identities from complex truths or from easy and flattering untruths?”

Shetterly will be visiting campus this Spring and will be in conversation with Dr. Jack Crawford at the Curb Center on March 19th, more details to come. He will also be visiting courses and facilitating discussion with Vanderbilt faculty.

 

Guest Speakers

The following guests of The Curb Center will be visiting over the course of the spring semester. This schedule is subject to change and there will be additional details provided soon. Faculty should reach out to Em Palughi for information about class visits at emma.l.palughi@vanderbilt.edu.

Andrew Zitcer and Tom Borrup

Co-editors of Democracy as Creative Practice: Weaving a Culture of Civic Life, Andew Zitcer and Tom Borrup are both experts in arts-based civic engagement. Their recent publication features chapters written by artists, curators, activists, and educators interested in creative and cultural paths to more democratic ways of working and being in community.

  • Wednesday, February 5th: Book Talk with Andrew Zitcer and Tom Borrup
    • 4:10-5:30 pm with reception until 6:00
    • Location TBA

Jennifer Baum

Jennifer Baum’s new memoir Just City is a window into a New York City of the past: a city with communities supported by affordable housing. Blending personal narrative with a deep knowledge of New York Upper West Side civic history, this memoir explores the artistic possibilities created when democracy centers people.

  • Thursday, February 20th: Book Talk with Jennifer Baum in conversation with Leah Lowe
    • Time TBA
    • Vanderbilt Library Author’s Room

Hannibal Lokumbe

Hannibal Lokumbe’s work as a classic composer and jazz trumpeter is a celebration of the African-American experience. Often, his symphonies feature civil rights leaders (such as “Dear Ms. Parks,” commissioned by the Detroit Symphony Orchestra) and the power of faith. He is a Harlem Jazz Hall of Fame Lifetime Inductee and founder of the Music Liberation Orchestra, a program that provides instruction in music and writing to incarcerated men.

  • Thursday, April 10th: Book Talk with Biographer Lauren Coyle Rosen
    • 4:30-6:00
    • Location TBA

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