New Consciousness

Like the ever-changing world, our Deaf community experiences constant growth and change. Artists have the power to create paradigm shifts that free us from old narratives, beliefs and representations that have kept us oppressed.  Examinination of our Deafhood journeys leads us to delve deeply into consideration of our past and our long-awaited future. Our growing consciousness and willingness to share more diverse stories from our community can help to change the lives of future generations. In Lori Dunsmore’s collage piece, Deafening White Noise, the artist writes “We are all oppressed, suppressing, and experiencing obstacles…” and trying to block out the “hearing” noise that permeates Deaf people’s lives. Fred Beam’s Hold Fast to Dreams, inspired by the Langston Hughes poem, confronts the issue of what it is to be Black in America. The artist writes, “If we flip this artwork upside down, it will show a black man laying on the ground and the bird crashing on the sidewalk while the hands are holding the person on the ground. That was the wake up time and action for Black Lives [Matter] Movement.”