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Social Justice and Say the Name: Two exhibits exploring ideas of Racial Justice
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The First Congregational United Church of Christ and Mountain Scribes joined together to create two exhibits in the Oak Street Gallery, which is an atrium in the front of the church visible from the street. The exhibits explore ideas about recent events since the killing of George Floyd on May 25, 2020. Downtown Asheville, NC experienced some extreme violence in the recent protests, and many of our downtown businesses had been covered with plywood over the windows to prevent more windows being broken and graffiti sprayed on the buildings. These became panels on which local artists painted murals concerning the many names of Black people who have been killed by the police. They have provided a temporary venue for ideas of racial justice to be presented.
The two exhibits in the gallery were planned to support the lives of our Black brothers and sisters in a non-violent way. The first was a weathergram exhibit with names of Black people killed in encounters with police titled Say the Names. The second exhibit is primarily calligraphic art pertaining to racial justice. Pieces by calligraphers, both local and statewide are hung in an informal way. The work was designed to draw on less formal scripts than calligraphers normally work with, making bold, strong, integrated, vivid and informal pieces. There are plans to exhibit the work in other venues, including the YMI Cultural Center in Asheville which elevates Black communities through the cultural, economic and leadership development activities.
This video gives you a glimpse of the exhibit. Although the church gallery is open to the public Thursday-Saturday, 1-4 pm, with social distancing and a docent available to explain the project, it is hoped that by sharing it online it will reach a wider audience. The church is at 10 Oak Street in downtown Asheville, NC. Social Justice, an exhibit of work in Asheville, NC by calligraphers and other artists, exploring the themes of Black Lives Matter and Racial Justice. First shown at the First Congregational United Christian Church, the art will move to other locations. It includes weathergrams, artwork on brown paper that names the names of many of the victims of police shootings over the last 20 years, and texts written by scribes which bridge the gaps among the lives of the community.

The murder of George Floyd on May 25, 2020 was a wake-up call for many previously apathetic white Americans. Seeing the face of the killer as he kept his knee on George Floyd's neck was seeing in that face a man certain that he held all the power.
The aftermath of the murder brought protests across our country and even in Asheville. Members of FCUCC, wanting to support the lives of our black brothers and sisters in a non-violent way, embarked upon two art exhibits.
The first was a weathergram exhibit with names of Black people killed in encounters with police titled Say Their Names.
The second exhibit, is primarily calligraphic art pertaining to racial justice. The church partnered with Mountain Scribes, western North Carolina's calligraphy guild. Much of the work in this exhibit is the art of those talented scribes as well as work from Carolina Lettering Arts Society and other groups.