Democracy and expressions of patriotism take many forms in “We the People…,” an exhibition co-curated by Michele Penhall and Sara Otto-Diniz. Drawn from the UNM Art Museum’s permanent collection, the exhibition celebrates Article 2 of the U.S. Constitution, which provides for the election of a president and vice president every four years. In recognition of the current political season, these works are offered as inspiration of citizens’ rights and responsibilities.
Iconic works in the exhibition include 19th century images of a young Abraham Lincoln, the statesman Frederick Douglass, civil war soldiers and freed slaves. Photographs by Diane Arbus and Lee Friedlander highlight the 1960s, and a digital portrait of an anonymous female soldier by UNM alumnus Joseph Moguel brings viewers into the 21st century.
In the exhibition guide, the curators explain that, “Photography opens a window into history and invites us to reflect on our past. This most democratic of art forms expressed and continues to frame the hopes and dreams of the common man much as the authors of our constitution penned their own hopes and dreams for democracy.”
The exhibition continues through Sunday, Dec. 21. The UNM Art Museum, located in the Center for the Arts, is open Tuesday-Friday, 9 a.m.-4 p.m., Tuesday, 5-8 p.m., Saturday-Sunday, 1-4 p.m. and during most Popejoy Hall events. Admission is free.
For more information visit: UNM Art Museum or call (505) 277-4001.
Photos
(Top) Unknown artist, (after Mathew Brady) Untitled, 1860 (bust of Abraham Lincoln; a copy of the second Cooper Union portrait made at the New York studio of Mathew Brady), February 27, 1860. Ambrotype. Purchased with funds from University of New Mexico Foundation, Inc. XO.297.2.137
(Bottom) Unknown artist, Frederick Douglass, Negro Abolitionist, Author and Orator, c.1856. Ambrotype. Purchased with funds from University of New Mexico Foundation, Inc. XO.297.2.138