Student-created art designed to spark conversation and highlight the lived experiences of those marginalized by society was the focus of a well-attended art show hosted February 10 at Curl Viewpoint. The artwork was created by ODI Scholars and various students of color on campus.
The product of a partnership between the Buckeyes Racial Ethnic Equity Awareness Centered in Healthcare (BREACH), a student podcast-focused organization, and the Office of Diversity and Inclusion, the art show included about 40 pieces of physical art from students along with two performances from the African American Voices Gospel Choir and Zuvaa, an Afro Caribbean dance group.
Third-year Morrill Scholar Maya Anderson exhibited four paintings she made as part of a larger series created during the pandemic, featuring Black creators who inspired her. “I wasn't expecting this much to be happening right now because it's the first time trying this,” Anderson said. “There's a poem next to me, and there's a really big canvas next to me, and there's sculptures, all different types of physical art everywhere — it all looks really cool.”
The program manager for the Morrill Scholarship Program, Charity Butler, assisted the members of BREACH with the event and spoke in front of the audience of several hundred prior to the performance, wishing everyone a happy Black History Month and acknowledging the artistic talent of the students. “If you have spent any time within ODI, you may have noticed the raw talent that this current cohort of ODI scholars have,” Butler said. “Look at the artwork in this room — it's evident, it's apparent. They are creative, resilient, and intellectually strong.”
BREACH Co-President and Morrill Scholar Alex Abreo said he was very pleased with the turnout of the event and felt it showed the importance of art, especially when using it as a form of advocacy. “From the beginning, we wanted to tackle disparities in general through creative mediums, and doing an art show seemed like a natural next step,” BREACH co-president Alex Abreo said. “What better to do this with so many voices, and diverse voices. In [BREACH's] podcast, you guys got to hear our voice — now it's time to hear [other students].”
Abreo and the other co-president, Ayush Mehra, said they are looking forward to holding the event again next year because of this year's success but will continue focusing on the BREACH podcast channel for now.