SPEAKING VOLUMES: TRANSFORMING HATE
The art exhibition Speaking Volumes: Transforming Hate is now in its 12th year on a national tour of museums and galleries. Artists from across the country transformed 4,100 white supremacist hate-filled books into thought-provoking art. Using diverse strategies and media –sculpture, painting, photography, ceramics, and printmaking –the artists tell personal stories, reconfigure ugliness into beauty, reflect on history, juxtapose symbols, mystify, and offer insights. Integrated educational programs and community-based events engage audiences in dialogue about white supremacy, discrimination, institutional oppression, and the impact of social policies. Participants are encouraged to respond creatively and contribute their skills to build a just society. This exhibition is available through a partnership between Speaking Volumes Art Action (SVAA) and the Holter Museum of Art. Be sure to check out our Gallery Guide for your next visit.
This short film by Matt O’Connor explores ideas stimulated by sixty visual artists who responded to and transformed white supremacist hate books into art. The exhibition opened in January 2008 at the Holter Museum of Art in Helena, Montana, toured the state for over two years, and went on to national museums and galleries from coast to coast. High school students, an artist, a human rights researcher, and the curator engage in civic dialogue about how we respond to discrimination, racism, and prejudice through the power of creative expression and honest conversation.