Community Voices, a new initiative from NSU Art Museum Fort Lauderdale, explores social and racial inequities by celebrating diversity and fostering art education and community discourse. The museum recently launched this program series with a panel discussion, “Looking Forward, Looking Back: Freedom, Afrofuturism, and Reflections on Juneteenth.”
Speakers for the event included Ransford F. Edwards, Jr., Ph.D., Kandy G. Lopez-Moreno, M.F.A., and Rachel Panton, Ph.D., NSU faculty members. During the presentation, panelists addressed the history of Juneteenth and the meaning of freedom through the eyes of Black artists. Afrofuturism, an artistic philosophy that empowers Black people to place themselves in spaces and genres they have been historically excluded from, was also part of the conversation. Works of art from the museum’s collection were used to complement the discussion.
“We thought it would be very meaningful for our first event to be about Juneteenth,” said Laura Gomez, associate education curator. “Community Voices will use interdisciplinary programs, including performances, talks—like the one about Juneteenth, and workshops where we engage the community in conversations on topics that target racial and social inequalities, and that target diversity with the purpose of promoting substantial social change.”
The Community Voices initiative was made possible with an Art of Community grant from the Community Foundation of Broward. The purpose of the grant is to utilize the arts to communicate, raise awareness, and affect positive change on social issues in Broward County.
“The museum has been doing a lot of this work for years now. We have been purchasing works from diverse communities. We have highlighted diverse artists. We have covered many different topics,” said Gomez. “The resources from the Community Foundation give the museum a sense of intentionality and structure. Something that we have been working on for years can now provide exactly what the community needs,” continued Gomez.
“This grant will allow us to reimagine a future where people feel welcome, and people feel like the museum is representative of the community of Broward County.”
Community Voices programming will be free for the public and eventually housed on the museum’s website so that the information is accessible and shareable. Community members are currently able to view much of the museum’s collection online, including the works featured in the Juneteenth panel discussion.
“NSU Art Museum has an exceptionally strong and diverse collection with regard to race, gender and the diversity of artists being shown,” said Gomez. “The Community Voices program enables us to expand the ways in which we can introduce these wonderful resources in our community.”
____________________________________________________________________________________
Support for Community Voices has been provided by the following funds at the Community Foundation of Broward: Barbara and Michael G. Landry Fund for Broward, Peck Family Fund, Julia C. Baldwin Fund, and Frederick W. Jaqua Fund.
NSU Art Museum Fort Lauderdale is located at One East Las Olas Boulevard, Fort Lauderdale, FL, 33301-1807. For additional information, visit nsuartmuseum.org.