Listening Outside the Lines

An Oral History Project part of the Lamoille Art & Justice Project
Curated by Kiara Cole and Caitlin Duffy

Folley Hall Gallery
January 20 - April 9, 2022

River Arts presents Listening Outside the Lines on display in the Folley Hall Gallery from January 20th till April 9th, 2022.

The exhibit will feature oral histories from PGM in Lamoille County as well as visual art and poetry from Vermont-based PGM artists Sarah Audsley, Alexa Herrera Condry, Harlan Mack, Crystal Stokes, Isadora Snapp, and Madeleine Ziminsky.

Oral history is the oldest form of historical study, and art is the oldest tool for appealing to human emotion. Listening Outside the Lines is a multimedia group exhibition exploring what it means to be a Person of the Global Majority (PGM; Black, Indigenous, or other Person of Color) in Vermont using oral history and inspired art. These are personal stories of growing up, trauma, transitions, and finding identity often at the intersection of race, culture, occupation, and location. 

Each narrator heard and every artist seen in Listening Outside the Lines shares the common thread of being a PGM in Vermont. Moving away from the restraints of the white gaze, using direct voice and shared experience, these works aspire to challenge stereotypes and bring deeper understanding and awareness to the racial inequities in our community. 

It is rare to enter space across Vermont and feel adequately represented, like one of the majority. The art on display not only explores a sense of belonging within but in the physical space as well, offering an inversion of the roles of racial majority and racial minority. Recognizing that these are only the stories of a few [PGM], this exhibition aims to foster connection and community for PGM while also cultivating a practice of active listening alongside conversations for systemic change at various levels. 

The narratives visitors experience in Listening Outside the Lines are brief excerpts pulled from the full recordings that range in time from 60 to 150 minutes. The majority of the full-length recordings will be accessible for educational and research purposes at Vermont Folklife Center in 2022.

Exhibition Reception and Artist Talk
Thursday, January 27th
5:30 to 7:30pm*

*Individuals who identify as People of the Global Majority (PGM) or BIPOC are invited to experience the exhibition 4:30PM to 5:30PM for affinity viewing before the opening reception.