Creative Intelligence

Zak Foster: SOUTHERN WHITE AMNESIA

Jan. 12 – Feb. 20

Southern White Amnesia examines the family stories white Americans pass down through generations—or allow to be forgotten—about their role in slavery and its ongoing legacy. When Foster told a family member about discovering records showing their ancestors had enslaved people, the immediate response was “no”—followed by insistence that they would “surely know” if this were true. That moment of family denial launched this entire collection.

The work moves from confronting hard evidence in old estate documents and Civil War letters to attempting communication with ancestors through dream work and AI-animated family photographs. Rather than ending with historical revelation, the collection culminates in active repair—both literal mending of found textiles and ongoing spiritual work of ancestral accountability.

Foster commits 100% of proceeds from sales to scholarships through the Thurgood Marshall College Fund, making the repair work concrete and immediate.

Associated Programming

  • Gallery HOP / Reception: Jan. 16, 5-8 p.m.
  • Creative Intellegence Series Lecture by Zak Foster – Feb. 12, 6 p.m.

Dis/Belief

skeptical realities and the power of interrogating assumptions

Sept. 12 – Oct. 6

Dis/Belief: skeptical realities and the power of interrogating assumptions explores the diverse and complicated ways in which we engage with skepticism and belief in the pursuit of knowledge. Skepticism, at its core, is a mode of questioning and doubt, a demand for evidence and rigorous inquiry. It is a powerful tool for exposing biases and challenging authority for good or for ill. 

The artist’s works of sculpture, video, print, photography, and drawing in Dis/Belief question concepts related to limits and power of knowledge, how truth becomes established, and the impact of fear and worry on our perceptions.

A central tenant of Dis/Belief is the relationship between skepticism and trust. How do we decide who or what to trust, and how is agency given over based on trust? At the same time, Dis/Belief explores the relationship between skepticism and seeking knowledge. How do we determine what we know and what we don’t? What role does subjectivity play? How do we distinguish between fact and fiction? Through their work, the artists invite us to question our assumptions, seek out new knowledge, and to engage with the world in a more skeptical and ultimately more rewarding way.

Associated Programming:

  • Gallery HOP/Opening Reception: Sept. 15, 5 – 8 p.m., Morlan Gallery
  • Artist Talk with Geraldine Ondrizek: Thurs, Oct. 12, 5 – 6 p.m. Carrick Theater a Morlan Gallery and Creative Intelligence Event