Jonah Grace (center) and Landon Lyons discuss the exhibition guide they created for the exhibition “Wearing the Movement” with Kipp Dawson, whose collection of t-shirts devoted to social justice movement is featured.
SUNY Fredonia students and faculty played key behind-the-scenes roles in a remarkably unique art show chronicling major social justice struggles.
What makes the exhibit, “Wearing the Movement,” out of the ordinary are its key elements: decades and decades of t-shirts.
Associate Professor Megan Urban of the Department of Visual Arts and New Media designed the Chatham University exhibit in Pittsburgh, PA, that presents an extensive collection of t-shirts from Kipp Dawson, an activist, retired coal miner and public school teacher.
The history-recording t-shirts were assembled by Ms. Dawson, beginning in the 1960s, to depict a myriad of social justice issues and the long struggles for freedom that played out in Pittsburgh and around the globe. T-shirts were “part of the culture of the ‘60s, ‘70s and ‘80s,” Dawson reflected in an interview. People gave and wore each other’s t-shirts.
Dr. Urban recruited two seniors, Landon Lyons, an Art History major with a minor in Museum Studies, from Fitchburg, MA, and Jonah Grace, a double major, Communication: Graphic Design and Visual Arts and New Media: Animation and Illustration major, from Jamestown, NY, to create the exhibition guide in the form of a zine, or small press booklet. It was printed and made available to visitors at the art gallery show.
While it is an excellent line on their resume on a project that is being covered in media, they also gained practical experience collaborating with professionals outside their discipline.” - Dr. Megan Urban
The guide summarized each of these social movements and Dawson’s involvement in them. Several t-shirts were also depicted in an illustrative form in the guide.
Grace designed the zine’s layout and typography; Lyons furnished illustrations placed throughout the guide.
Having strong interests in zines, feminist alternative media and inclusive queer activism, Urban explained, made both students excellent choices to create the guide.
Grace, who’s passionate about intersectionality and solidarity among marginalized communities, was immediately attracted to the exhibition, even before being asked by Urban to become involved.
“I'm so inspired by Kipp's life and work and found both the exhibition and gallery talk incredibly powerful and insightful,” remarked Grace, who plans to launch a career in graphic design in Seattle, WA, after graduation. Lyons, likewise, is drawn to activism and social justice.
“Meeting Kipp was an amazing opportunity,” agreed Lyons, who wants to attend graduate school and write grants or fundraise for art non-profits.
The students collaborated long distance, via Zoom, with curators of the show — Catherine Evans, a Ph.D. candidate at Carnegie Mellon University, and Dr. Jessie Ramey, a historian, associate professor of Women’s and Gender Studies and founding director of Chatham’s Women’s Institute.
There were multiple benefits for the students contributing to this project, according to Urban.
“While it is an excellent line on their resume on a project that is being covered in media [Pittsburgh Review of Books, with other potential publications in discussion], they also gained practical experience collaborating with professionals outside their discipline,” Urban noted.
Dawson is credited with organizing on the frontlines of freedom struggles that involved Civil Rights, Vietnam anti-war, free speech, women’s liberation, gay liberation, labor and educational justice movements. She either participated in or helped to lead many of the largest and most well-known sit-ins, rallies, marches and campaigns.
“Kipp was involved in social justice causes and activities since the Civil Rights,” Urban said. She has been a voice in these major movements and has collected t-shirts associated with her activism.
Department of Visual Arts and New Media Associate Professor Jason Dilworth compiled a video, “Familiar Fabrics: A Kipp Dawson Reflection,” for the exhibit. Using Evans’ recorded interviews and Urban’s style guide for the exhibition, Mr. Dilworth created the title graphics and captions and sequenced archival photographs.
Urban was recruited by Ms. Evans to design the show, based on Urban’s interest in material culture and design history. Evans met Urban while Urban was completing her doctoral degree at Carnegie Mellon University. She began designing the show using only an empty gallery and architectural drawings. Photographs and a large timeline Urban created to depict Dawson’s work and activism are also in the exhibit, as are related artifacts and ephemera.
Both students joined Urban at the show’s opening reception and heard remarks by Dawson, Chatham’s Hollander Lecturer of the Year. The exhibit at the Susan Bergman Gurrentz ‘56 Art Gallery continues through Dec. 12.
