Black Lives Matter

Posted: June 2, 2020

We are participating in a blackout on our social media for everything other than BLACK LIVES MATTER content, info and artwork—to listen to and uplift Black voices.

As protests continue, the Union Gallery stands in solidarity with BIPOC leaders and community activists locally and internationally. We demand justice in the deaths of Regis Korchinski-Paquet, George Floyd, Tony McDade, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery and too many others whose lives have been cut short because of anti-Black racism, police brutality and a pervasive culture of white supremacy. There is no single way to fight systemic racism and oppression, but we start by listening to and supporting the activists, artists, writers and scholars who work for justice.

We are taking the time to listen and learn, share and pledge funds. The Union Gallery and individual staff have donated to Black Lives Matter, Minnesota Freedom Fund and Black Lives Matter Toronto. We recognize that as an organization we can and must do better to support Black artists in our community and beyond. We are looking inwards to reflect on our own operational practices and programming in order to ensure we are supporting and remaining accountable towards Black students, artists and cultural producers, not only at this moment, but once momentum slows. Art galleries are not neutral spaces. As an educational organization, the Union Gallery has a responsibility to help educate our publics on social justice and inspire people to take action.

We each have a responsibility to seek out resources and remain informed, active and vigilant in dismantling systems of oppression. It is our collective duty to put in the work to find the words to address this injustice, to express our support of the Black Lives matter movement, and to try our best to continue to learn, grow and improve.

Thank you for reading. Keep putting in the work. We promise we will too.