Opening Reception: Of the People

Free and open to all! Refreshments will be served. This event celebrates the opening of the exhibition Of the People at the Stedman Gallery, Rutgers University-Camden.

The 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence has inspired people across the country to reflect on the meaning of American democracy. The ideas that the government’s authority comes from the people who elected them and that its purpose is to serve the values and overall welfare of its people, have been embedded in the American cultural psyche for some time. As too have repeated stories of democracy that teach the American public to trust in democratic process and the justice system.

Of the People features a selection of works on paper by contemporary artists from across the United States who responded to the question: what does American Democracy mean to you? Through investigative research, consulting various formal and informal repositories of knowledge, and reflecting inwardly, this group of artists particularly consider the meaning of American democracy in the present moment.