Lauren Woods’ Paused Choice
In response to the University abruptly firing Kimberli Meyer days before American MONUMENT was to open, Lauren Woods has put the exhibit on pause. American MONUMENT is an exhibit consisting of efforts to tackle the culture of police brutality through culture production. The exhibit was to expose many different court cases of police brutality and end white supremacy. With the exhibit on pause, the records of these cases are empty and there is only a surfaced version of the work on display. Lauren Woods’ choice to put the exhibit on pause leaves controversial thoughts between Kimberli Meyer getting fired being connected to the American MONUMENT and whether or not the pause is the right reaction or if Lauren Woods is being selfish by hiding the voices of those twenty-five court cases relating to police brutality. I am conflicted, I see both sides.
With the chance that the firing of Kimberli Meyer is connected to Lauren Woods’ work, it is understandable to me that Woods has chosen to put her exhibit on pause. This work deals with a serious matter and firing the biggest co-collaborator of this creative process days before it was to be put on display is ignorant to the works purpose. Lauren Woods has a right to react to the Universities choice to fire Kimberli Meyer with no explanation. Art is powerful in what a body of work has to say and to not say. For Lauren Woods to go on with the exposure of the exhibit without a reaction to Kimberli Meyer getting fired may be unlawful to what American MONUMENT is trying to say. The pause draws attention to the Universities actions and it has made the students more aware of the uneasy environment the University may have created. The pause is powerful because it creates curiosity, more people may want to find out what the exhibit was about and what caused the pause. This draws more attention and awareness to the topic Woods addresses in her work as well as what goes on behind the scenes at the University.
Although I see validation in Woods’ choice to pause American MONUMENT, I also wish to see the exhibit complete. I am intrigued by the 25 court cases that were supposed to play as well as everything else that was put on hold. Those voices in those cases deserve to be heard and drawing attention to them is very beneficial to rise awareness to gun violence and police brutality. This exhibit seems to have a powerful voice and it deserves to be seen and the students, faculty, etc. deserve to see this body of work. It is crucial to rise awareness to the matters that this art work touches heavily on. Having this exhibit on display fully has the power to open our eyes to see that this matter is a big deal as it is ending innocent lives. The pause is powerful, but it does disrupt the exposure of these cases which all deserve to be heard.
With the tone-deaf timing of the University’s choice to fire Kimberli Meyer, a tense environment is created in the UAM and throughout the University. Lauren Woods’ choice to pause her exhibit draws attention and awareness to Kimberli Meyer getting fired and curiosity to reasons behind the university’s actions. However, the pause is also very unfortunate due to the voices in Woods’ work not able to be heard. They deserve to be heard and exposed so I hope this pause is not permanent.
daily kaelie 