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The Student News Site of Saint Louis University

The University News

The Student News Site of Saint Louis University

The University News

SLUMA exhibit highlights untold stories of African-American women

Courtesy+of+Mary+Marshall+%2F++SLUMA
Courtesy of Mary Marshall / SLUMA
Courtesy of Mary Marshall / SLUMA

Spirituality, history and art come together in Saint Louis University Museum of Art’s current exhibit “Spirit and History.” This exhibit features work from James Hasse, S.J., a Chicago Jesuit priest, and Judge Nathan B. Young, St. Louis’ first African-American municipal judge.

The eastern portion of the exhibit, the “History” part, is dedicated to Young’s art. It is a rich display of the history of the black experience in America. Such historical events as the Brown v. Board of Education decision and one of the first all-black military units are reflected in the judge’s work. He also pays attention to local black history, such as the Missouri Compromise and civil rights leader Percy Green II.

Another work, “American Gosherie,” takes the iconic “American Gothic” and subverts it by inserting a black woman and a white man. Such a painting was controversial in 1974 when it was finished, only seven years after the Supreme Court overturned anti-miscegenation laws (including Missouri’s) with Loving v. Virginia.

Hasse’s section, “Spirit,” dedicates itself to the spiritual history of black people in the United States, including black women. He details the struggles vividly, with plenty of Christian imagery.

One of the most powerful images is of a lynching, with the victim stretched out in a Christ-like fashion. For a Catholic audience, one of the most intriguing is “Women crucified on St. Peter’s square.” The imagery is obvious, but a placard describes the painting with: “The Catholic Church has done its share of oppressing women.”

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Hasse once described his art by saying, “I paint women crucified, not as the historical Christ, but as the feminine half of the Mystical Body of Christ, which continues to save society and our families today through the offering of their sufferings, their crucifixions.”

Hasse upholds women through his use of the creation story. He uses two paintings to show that we are all made in God’s image— an important corrective to the position of power taken by both white people and males. Hasse’s paintings supply a much-needed antidote to the white male view of Christianity that has dominated most of the history of the Church.

There will also be a panel discussion of the exhibit that occurs on Wednesday, Feb. 22, and visit the “Spirit and History” exhibit before it closes on March 4.

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