
Exhibit: Expressing Human Rights: All People Free & Equal: An Exhibition
Location: Fletcher Library, West campus
Available: January 20-March 16, 2012
Exhibition Mission: The Cultural Arts Coalition presents artwork by local artists; youth in detention, in rehabilitation, and on probation; and South Mountain High School students as a means to explore and inquire about rights.
Those featured organizations:
- “The Thoughtful Warrior” program @ Lower Buckeye & Estrella jails with male and female juveniles, Project Director Melanie Ohm
- “Release the Fear” for juveniles in Maricopa county detention sites facilitated by Robert Miley
- Las Artes de Maricopa @ the Y, for disadvantaged youth age 16-21, struggling to overcome difficult circumstances, facilitated by Martin Moreno
- ANYTOWN youth camps creative reflection programming, Director Deanie Wlodek @ the Y.
The United Nations defines human rights as “… rights inherent to all human beings, whatever our nationality, place of residence, sex, national or ethnic origin, color, religion, language, or any other status. We are all equally entitled to our human rights without discrimination. These rights are all interrelated, interdependent and indivisible.”
What do these rights mean to a young person facing the criminal justice system? What is security when incarcerated? Freedom when on probation? Or the right to privacy when in rehabilitation? This exhibition of work by youth and teaching artists challenges us to come to a deeper understanding of the 30 Universal Human Rights (www.un.org/en/documents/udhr/index.shtml#a29), and in particular Article 29, which describes our responsibility to protect the rights and freedoms of all.
People may create conditions in their lives that diminish their CIVIL rights, but they still have rights because they are HUMAN. Everyone has rights.
This is the third year the Cultural Arts Coalition has mounted an exhibition that spans a two month period at Fletcher Library, Arizona State University West campus. This kind of collaboration and honoring of our youth and the journeys they are on to make well informed decisions that benefit self and community members could not occur without the support of the Fletcher Library Staff: Dennis Isbell, Director, and Margaret Rodriquez, administrative staff member. We are very thankful for their support of these youth and the facilitators who assist them.
The Fletcher Library will host reception for all 125 participating youth on Friday, March 2, from 0930-11:00. Martin Moreno, 2011 Governor’s Artist award winner will be the key note speaker.
Co-curators: Judy Butzine (jhb6@mindspring.com; (602) 375-9553 ) and Melanie Ohm (Melanie@conceptsconsultinggroup.com)