DEFIANT! ART THAT TALKS BACK

What does Defiant means?

showing resistance or bold disobedience. Someone who is defiant refuses to obey authority or follow rules, especially when they BELIEVE those rules are UNJUST. It carries a strong, rebellious energy-often tied to standing up for what one believes in, even in the face of danger or oppression.

“You can jail a revolutionary, but you can’t jail the revolution.” -Fred Hampton

“I am a revolutionary.”

“We are not begging. We are demanding what is ours by right.” -Jose Cha Cha Jimenez

“We believed in self-determination for all oppressed people.”

“I am no longer accepting the things I cannot change. I am changing the things I cannot accept.” -Angela Davis

As an artist, I strive to express the importance of standing up for what is right through visual arts. I fight for the common people and aim to represent justice in the face of injustice.

Spaces that bring local artists together are vital—they allow us to use our creative voices to express the power of art. Through our unique styles, we narrate stories of resilience, identity, and imagination.

We have been displaced and misrepresented by systems built for the gain of socialism and capitalism. Yet, we resist. We continue to dismantle these systemic corruptions with strength and courage, using our art as a tool for change.

In a world that demands our silence, DEFIANT! dares to speak!

DEFIANT! Featured Artists:

Soso-Akalesh, Shayna “Akanke” Marie, Jasmine Bruce, Hugo Claudin, Nancy Toledo Jimenez, Journee Knight, Arturo Morales Romero, Cary Okoro, Thiago Porraz, Alfield Reeves, Asma Speeks, Jose Vazquez

Curated by Annamarie Buller with support from Jason McChristian and Amy VanElsacker

Exhibition will be open to the public from 7:30 am- 5:00 pm daily from May 25th, 2025 - August 9th, 2025