Dean's Messages Archive

The events on January 6 in Washington, D.C., gripped the country and the world. The actions of the mob who invaded and terrorized the U.S. Capitol Building and the procedural actions of the elected leaders of the country stood in contrast to and yet reflected points on a continuum of what it means to live in the current state of our democracy.

In response, President Barron issued a statement earlier today. He noted our responsibility, as members of the University community, to put aside differences and to rise above hate. I remain steadfast in making sure the arts and design work we do in the College of Arts & Architecture occurs within a space supportive of open dialogue, critical discourse, and creative inquiry informed by the lived experiences of those who create it, learn from it, and respond to it. I know personally how difficult and painful it can be to be subjected to systemic oppression and social inequity. Our conversations and actions in response to oppression and discrimination, and in service of equity and social justice, are not exercises. They are imperatives.

As we prepare to enter a third semester of academic work under the cloud of COVID and within the context of remote teaching, learning, and working, we must persevere. We must step forward with renewed resilience as we attend to our responsibilities just as the resilience of the foundations of this country must continue.

Civil unrest and illicit acts are not the same as civil disobedience and civil disagreement. Fomenting hate and provoking violence are not the same as inspiring peaceful protest to resolve matters of conflict.

Artists and designers certainly understand the power of embodied and performed means of conveying ideas and beliefs, but not at the cost of someone’s life or the dissolution of respect for the very institutions that enable people to do so freely. The work, research, and creative activity that is cultivated in this college is vital to ensuring our society has access to means through which discordant, divergent, controversial, and even questionable ideas can be made public for the purpose of critical consideration, innovation, and positive change.

We will continue our efforts in support of equity through actions grounded in the ideals of anti-racism, anti-bias, and anti-oppression. We will resist caste hierarchies, socially constructed systems of privilege, and the marginalization of difference. We will condemn hate. We will not condone violence. We will not disregard the perpetuation of lies, or the dismantling of the principles of a democratic republic, or the disrespect of others.

As we prepare for the spring semester and more uncertainty to come, you might find these resources for students and faculty and staff helpful.

While we are physically distanced, we are otherwise linked through our common purpose as artists, educators, scholars, historians, designers, colleagues, staff members, and students, all dedicated to our mutual success. The arts can be modes by which social institutions and the actions of individuals are placed on display for critique. They can also be means through which promises of hope and civility are enshrined. They can be channels to encourage and remind anyone brave enough to pay attention, of what is just, right, and virtuous.