The Wellin was abuzz with students and their families this past weekend celebrating the opening of the Museum’s 10th-anniversary exhibit: “Dialogues Across Disciplines.” This new collection features both contemporary and dated works of all kinds including 19th-century photography, ceramic vases, chromogenic prints, oil on canvas and various other offerings.
Student docent Olivia Davis ’23 has worked at the on-campus museum for a few years now and noted, “The exhibition opening was a huge success at the Wellin. It was amazing to see the Hamilton community come out to support and celebrate the 10-year anniversary. I can’t wait for more people to learn about the Wellin’s vast collection.”
And vast it is. At the forefront of the gallery is a long banner that stretches the length of the wall. Copied prints of a kitch American flag and patriotic showgirls provide the background for a young woman of color with her hand over her heart, holding a portrait of a Native American chief in her lap. The inkjet print on a cotton fabric panel is titled “Long May She Wave; Lady of Liberty” (Akea Brionne, 2022).
Laurie Simmons’s 1949 “Walking Microphone with Skirt” sits along the back wall. This eerie black and white work depicts the head of a microphone on a doll’s legs. In his description of the piece, Hamilton religious studies Professor S. Brent Rodgríguez-Plate wrote, “We humans fear many things, but we fear dolls in a unique way…Dolls look something like us, reflecting us in deeply uncanny ways, revealing that our fears are not out there but rather are somewhere within ourselves, chasing after the core of our identity.” He relates other media to the art piece such as The Terminator, Ex Machina, Frankenstein’s Monster and Chucky. Standing directly before the work, visitors may face their reflection shining behind the doll’s legs, connecting back to Rodgíguez-Plate’s concept that perhaps we are most scared of ourselves.
Whether an intentional feature or not, standing before this piece makes for a worthwhile visit.
Additionally, for the first time ever The Wellin exhibit features a time-based art piece titled “I Was Here” (Jeffery Gibson 2018). This short synthesizes documentary and scripted elements into the compelling story of a trans woman named Macy going about her life on the Choctaw reservation in Mississippi. The piece begins with Macy in her home alone, displaying her identity through makeup and vibrant clothing and preparing to enter her community for the day. Visitors later feel the watchful eyes on her at the grocery store, the camera weaving down the aisles and capturing the judgment of onlookers. The final section of the short captures Macy immersing herself in nature. She walks through a forest toward a river, light catching through the trees and illuminating her in all her glory. She reaches the water and lowers herself in, completely at peace and one with the nature around her. It is essentially a baptism; when she emerges, she is truly herself. This film scratches the surface of the intersectionality between communities and claiming individuality, as well as balancing gender and cultural identities. It is approximately 8 minutes long.
As the year goes on here at Hamilton, the exhibit will continue to evolve. Accompanying commentary will be adjusted and some pieces will be swapped out with other work from the same artist. Located just off College Hill Rd, across from KTSA, The Wellin is open Tuesday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. “Dialogues Across Disciplines” will be up through the duration of the academic year. Community members all are welcome to view this tremendous exhibit.
