Co-editors and co-curators gloria j. wilson and Joni Acuff engage in conversation with two of the exhibition's artists, Dr. Sonia Mañjon and Keya Crenshaw, about their aesthetic contributions to the book and the current exhibition. The panel will engage in conversation about women of color feminisms from various entry points, but specifically through art making practices.
In 1981, Chicana feminist intellectuals Cherríe Moraga and Gloria Anzaldúa published what would become a touchstone work for generations of feminist women of color—the seminal This Bridge Called My Back: Writings by Radical Women of Color. To celebrate and honor this important work, editors gloria j. wilson, Joni B. Acuff, and Amelia M. Kraehe offer new generations A Love Letter to This Bridge Called My Back.
The first exhibition of works from the 2022 anthology A Love Letter to This Bridge Called My Back honors the groundbreaking work of Gloria Anzaldúa and Cherríe Moraga while extending their work to spark new dialogues and creative voices. This exhibition showcases a selection of artworks and poetic pronouncements from a diverse array of contributors to the book. A Love Letter encourages visitors to make space to consider the imperative of an intimacy with themselves, our natural impulse to build up and connect with one another across generations, and the vitality of doing this work through aesthetic forms.
More than a retrospective, A Love Letter serves as a testament to the ongoing impact of Anzaldúa and Moraga's influential 1981 anthology. These literary and artful pieces celebrate the experiences, love, and collective power of women of color, visually reminding us of our multidimensionality, vibrancy, and strength.
This show was made possible through the support of The Ohio State Center for Feminist Research, Education and Engagement (FREE Center).
