This month we are featuring three portraits painted by Robert Shetterly from his “Americans Who Tell The Truth” series and the project of the same name. The portraits featured in our exhibit are of Rosa Parks, Jane Addams, and Woody Guthrie.
Americans Who Tell the Truth (AWTT) is dedicated to the belief that a profound understanding of citizenship is the only safeguard of democracy and the best defense of social, racial, economic, and environmental justice. Working with our portraits and narratives of courageous citizens, AWTT crafts collaborative educational and community experiences that illuminate the ongoing struggle to realize America’s democratic ideals and model the commitment to act for the common good.
AWTT will create spaces where people can learn ways to participate democratically in building just and equitable communities. Through making art, facilitating journeys of individual and community discovery, and demonstrating how history shapes lives, AWTT will inspire a future of active citizenship.
Inspired by Shetterly and the AWTT project, students at MDES painted their own portraits from the series. The student’s portraits feature Harriet Tubman, Frederick Douglass and Jane Addams.
You can learn more about the AWTT project at https://americanswhotellthetruth.org/
This exhibit will be in the Mellon Room for the month of March. You can contact Kate Young at kyoung@nehlibrary.org or 207 276 3333 with questions about our exhibits.
