In celebration of and in collaboration with the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Utah, and in honor of their 50 years of advocacy in defending civil liberties, the Salt Lake Art Center has organized “Liberties Under Fire.” This exhibition features artwork by five artists who depict or suggest pivotal civil liberties issues identified by the ACLU of Utah. To provide informed and unique perspectives about each issue, six prominent authors have been invited to write short personal essays. And to place these artworks and essays in a legal framework, the ACLU of Utah has provided short texts related to each issue. The root issue is the First Amendment – freedom of speech and expression – which is explored in an introduction by Katharine Coles, PhD, Utah Poet Laureate and Professor of English, University of Utah. The five civil liberties issues addressed by pairings of artists and writers include: Abuse of Power: artist Sue Coe and author Forrest S. Cuch; Church and State: artist Enrique Chagoya and author Terry Tempest Williams; LGBT Equality: artist John Trobaugh and playwright Julie Jensen; Racial Justice: artist Kara Walker and author Forrest Crawford; and, Torture, Imprisonment, and War: artist Jenny Holzer and author/journalist Mary Dickson. Exhibition held in the Main Gallery space.
