Lamar University’s Resiliency Think Tank has partnered with the Dishman Art Museum to present the exhibition, “Bridges of Belonging: The Art of Humanity, Humility, and Resiliency,” on display through Aug. 14.
The exhibit features a variety of visual and mixed media works inspired by one of the show’s themes — humanity, humility and resiliency.
Janeal White, Resiliency Think Tank faculty lead, said the “Bridges of Belonging” showcase was born out of the idea of looking at the social issues through academic discipline.
“We have students from different academic disciplines such as behavioral science, engineering and nursing,” White said. “We encourage each of those students to bring their major into the work they are doing.”
The Resiliency Think Tank is a group of interdisciplinary undergraduate and graduate students who work together to help the community of Southeast Texas in relation to individuals experiencing homelessness and poverty, Nicolette Hamilton, graduate research assistant, said.
“They do that by engaging in community and outreach activities to interact directly with people who have vulnerabilities such as poverty and homelessness,” she said. “Based on these interactions, they conduct assessments and develop projects that respond to those themes and are working as a team to carry out those projects.”
During an opening reception, June 12, held in conjunction with the Dishman’s “After School Special” alumni show, Think Tank volunteers handed out surveys to visitors asking to gather information about their views about their interaction with the exhibition. The contributing artists also filled out a survey about their submissions.
“The team will take the information they received from the surveys and they’ll use it as an academic activity to learn how to analyze qualitative data to be able to identify themes and trends,” White said. “The surveys will also help us understand the experiences of the people who both created the art and experienced the art.”
Hamilton said she hoped people got a sense of belonging when walking through the gallery.
“That's the whole message and impact we want to make,” she said. “We want visitors to be connected to the artwork and find themselves in each artwork — to also understand what belonging means to them and how to close the gaps of different cultures, environments and family dynamics we come from, and the depths of layers that make us all different by bridging it together.”
The Dishman Art Museum is located at 1030 E. Lavaca St. Admission is free.
