Sep 2, 2015–Oct 2, 2015
In this project, the fifteen youth in Teen Art Connect (TAC), The Contemporary Jewish Museum’s internship program, contribute a young, local, and current perspective to the walls of The Museum by adding their voices to the exhibition, Chasing Justice.
These papercut portraits and written pieces about the figures in their portraits are the result of a workshop with Miriam Klein Stahl and Kate Schatz, illustrator and author of Rad American Women A-Z. In this alphabet book the letter 'X' stands for "The women whose names we don't know. . . and the radical histories that didn't get recorded."
In the words of TAC intern Chloe Lee Rowlands:
These portraits shine a light on people who we want to recognize—those who have impacted us personally and those lesser-known people who are the backbones of social change movements. As young people pursuing our education we are told about the big public figures and historic change-makers. As we learn and grow we find bits of ourselves in the stories we hear. We find inspiration and motivation in the actions of others and this helps us chart our own goals and paths. The fifteen people in X Is For show that positive change is attainable and that our work matters.
Teen Programs are made possible by major support from U.S. Bank Foundation. Additional generous supporters include Macy’s, Union Bank Foundation, and the Ira A. Roschelle MD Family Foundation.
Artwork created by (clockwise from top left): Elena Moore, Leah Treidler, Maelin Rose, and Chloe Lee Rowlands.