On Exhibit in Taproot’s Kendall Center Lobby

“The times we live in are urgent. Everywhere we look, forces are attempting to limit our voices—to strip away our agency. Inspired by Joe DiPietro’s play Conscience, this exhibition is an invitation to tune in to historical patterns, examine power dynamics, and question who benefits.

The series looks back on McCarthyism, and the spectacular courage of Margaret Chase Smith. In June of 1950, she stood up as the lone female voice in a room of powerful, yet cowardly, men—the only senator who refused to tolerate the beginning of a dark era. She chose to be a light.

Then and now, fascism commands us to be terrified, quiet, and small. My response is to hold a mirror to the darkness and create art that reflects potent words, vibrant color, and a touch of whimsy.

These works honor civil disobedience and the voices that disrupt the machine. They encourage us to connect to our own conscience and to playfully defy the power structure in the name of truth, justice, and democracy for all.”

—Liesl Lavery