Art as Protest in the Trump Era: National Exhibition Confronts the Moments that Shape Us

BRISTOL, RI  — The Bristol Art Museum announces, “When in the Course of Human Events…”, a national juried exhibition featuring works that reflect on the personal, political, and cultural moments that shape our collective story. The exhibition will be on view Sun., Feb. 22 to Fri., Apr. 10, with an Artist Reception on Sun., Feb. 22 from 2 to 4 p.m.

Working across drawing, painting, printmaking, photography, collage, mixed media, and
experimental forms, 65 selected artists explore paper as both material and metaphor. From intimate personal milestones to sweeping societal shifts, this exhibit examines how artists witness, document, and commemorate human events in the contemporary world.

“Paper is fragile, but ideas are not,” said Mary Dondero, exhibit curator and Museum board member. “Through When in the Course of Human Events…, artists use paper to document injustice, express dissent, and affirm humanity while demonstrating how creative expression can respond powerfully to political and cultural upheaval.”

The exhibition was juried by Meredith Stern, an artist and printmaker whose multifaceted practice includes printmaking, zine publishing, and social action. Stern holds a BFA in Ceramics from Tulane University and is a member of the Just Seeds Artists’ Cooperative. Her work is included in the permanent collections of the Library of Congress, RISD Museum, the Museum of Modern Art (Book Arts Collection), and the Obama Presidential Museum Collection.

Artists from across the United States are represented, featuring twenty artists from Rhode Island, whose work brings regional perspectives to broader questions of freedom and community. Together, all the participating artists present interpretations that are reflective and deeply personal.

In addition to the juried artists, the exhibition will feature 2026 Rhode Island Featured Artist Susan Hardy, whose work will be on view in the Abbot Low Gallery. Hardy’s installation includes selections from her Middle Passage series (intaglio prints created on used tea bags) that reflect on the imprint of history on everyday materials. Also on display is her work Lost and Found, a black rag doll (c. 1880–1920) discovered in an abandoned home destroyed by fire in Wardtown, Virginia, an artifact that speaks to survival, erasure, and remembrance.
​
The Artist Reception will provide an opportunity to meet the featured artists and view their works up close. For more information about “When in the Course of Human Events …” or the Bristol Art Museum, please visit the Museum’s website: www.bristolartmuseum.org.

---