Nasher Museum Show Highlights Protest Art
The Nasher Museum of Art in Durham has opened a new exhibition that surveys protest art from the 1930s to the present. Curated by Xuxa Rodríguez, the show showcases works by well‑known artists such as Kara Walker, Chuck Close, and the Guerrilla Girls, as well as lesser‑known voices. The exhibition…
By Felo News Desk · Published
The Nasher Museum of Art in Durham, North Carolina, has opened a new exhibition that surveys protest art from the 1930s to the present. Curated by Xuxa Rodríguez, the show is titled “Turn the Volume Up!” and is a comprehensive look at how artists have used their work to record, organize, and petition for social justice. The exhibition is organized into six sections—Remarks, Organize, Records, Dissents, and Petition—that explore how communities mobilize and advocate for justice. The show runs through July 11, 2027, and is free to the public.
What the Exhibition Covers
“Turn the Volume Up!” is a survey of protest art drawn mainly from the museum’s permanent collection. It spans more than 80 years of work and includes artists such as Kara Walker, Carrie Mae Weems, the Guerrilla Girls, and Chuck Close, as well as lesser‑known artists such as Marielle Plaisir, Robert Colescott, and Sam Durant. The show is divided into six sections that highlight the ways in which art can be used to record history, organize communities, and petition for change.
In the Remarks section, visitors see works that comment on historical and current injustices. One example is Robert Colescott’s 1978 acrylic canvas, The Wreckage of the Medusa, which recontextualizes the famous 1819 painting The Raft of the Medusa to comment on racism and discrimination in the United States. The work shows a ship’s captain hiding his face in shame while a stereotypical black man swims toward a buxom blonde. The piece is one of the few loaners for the show and is a powerful reminder that artists can use their work to make incisive comments about the injustices that persist today.
How the Show is Organized
In the Organize section, visitors see screen printed signs by Bill Fick, including a George Floyd sign in red on yellow with an upraised fist, a black and white photo of a young John Lewis with the phrase “the vote is precious,” and a “Justice for All!” sign beneath a tiger head. The section also includes a collage by Marielle Plaisir, J. Baker, which depicts iconoclast Josephine Baker striking a playful pose and crossing her eyes opposite a French nobleman and his dog in a stylized tropic setting. The collage is a recent acquisition on exhibit at the Nasher for the first time and is a powerful reminder that artists can use their work to inspire action.
In the Records section, visitors see images of ordinary people, such as workers in Milton Rogovin’s black and white shots from 1976-1977 and his Mexican miners from the 1980s. The section also includes a photograph by Spider Martin of Martin Luther King Jr. speaking to a crowd following the Selma March. Unlike most images of King, this one includes the crowd, an essential element in the civil rights icon’s greatness.
What the Show Means
The exhibition’s thesis is that every voice matters, no matter how insignificant and powerless many feel. “People need to speak up,” says Rodríguez as the finishing touches are put on the show and guests gather in the lobby for the preview. “It’s foundational of the United States to be like, how can we make it better? How can we change it? And to criticize America isn’t to hate America.” The show is an invitation to citizens to form caucuses and devise strategies for exercising and ensuring their right to democratic participation through both protest and the vote.
While the organizational thrust of “Turn the Volume Up!” is sometimes haphazard—such as the placement of Chuck Close’s photo portrait of Al Gore under Organize or Jamal Cyrus’s flattened horns in Conga Bomba under Dissents—the show’s overall message is clear: protest art is an American tradition that can help us record history, organize communities, and petition for change.
For more information about the exhibition, visit the Nasher Museum’s website or call 919-684-7000. The show is free to the public and is open Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Key facts
- The Nasher Museum’s new exhibition showcases protest art from the 1930s to today.
- The show is curated by Xuxa Rodríguez and organized into six thematic sections.
- Works by Kara Walker, Chuck Close, and the Guerrilla Girls are highlighted.
- The exhibition emphasizes the importance of recording history, organizing communities, and petitioning for change.
- Visitors are encouraged to speak up and participate in democratic processes.
- The show runs through July 11, 2027, and is free to the public.
Why it matters
The exhibition demonstrates how art can be a powerful tool for social change, encouraging visitors to engage with history, organize communities, and advocate for justice.
Frequently asked questions
What is the name of the exhibition at the Nasher Museum of Art?
The exhibition is called “Turn the Volume Up!”
Who curated the exhibition?
The exhibition was curated by Xuxa Rodríguez.
What are the main themes of the exhibition?
The exhibition is organized into six sections—Remarks, Organize, Records, Dissents, and Petition—that explore how communities mobilize and advocate for justice.
Is the exhibition free to the public?
Yes, the exhibition is free to the public.
Sources
- [1] observer.com — originally reported as “The Nasher’s New Survey Treats Protest as an American Tradition”
