NAU Art Museum summer display showcases ACLU-AZ activism, unity

art by Barbara Brandel - The Enduring Hope

June 10, 2019

The Northern Arizona University Art Museum will be the summer home of the traveling exhibit “In This Together: Sixty Years of Daring to Create a More Perfect Arizona.” The display is making its way around the state as part of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Arizona’s 60th anniversary celebration. The collection will be at the NAU Art Museum from June 11-July 19. 

“In This Together” features works of art conceived in honor of 60 years of activism on the part of the ACLU in Arizona, whose mission is to protect all people’s constitutional rights. Works include paintings, sculptures, photography and mixed media pieces contributed by 40 Arizona artists.

“The NAU Art Museum decided to serve as a venue for the exhibition out of our conviction that any museum is not simply a cultural resource, but a participant in the civic life of its community,” museum director George Speer said. Speer also said the museum does not take one political position over another.

The work of the ACLU in Arizona isn’t about a singular viewpoint or issue, said contributing artist Rand Carlson, but rather the unity of people coming together in a shared effort and embodying the title of the exhibit—­daring to create a more perfect Arizona. 

The museum is located at 620 Knoles Drive and is open from noon to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. Admission is open to the public at no cost, though a $2 donation is suggested. No parking permit is required for community members attending campus events on Friday after 4:30 p.m. and on weekends.

Featured image: “The Enduring Hope” by Barbara Brandel

Cheyenne Jarrette