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The West Virginia University Food Justice Lab and WVU Libraries’ Arts in the Libraries committee are seeking content from scholars, artists, community groups and practitioners for a curated art exhibition that addresses issues related to food justice.
“The Food Justice Lab is thrilled to support WVU Libraries with an art exhibit that will elevate the rich histories of Appalachian food heritage, explore the inequities presently coded into our food system and help us to imagine a more just and resilient food future for our region,” WVU Food Policy Research Director Joshua Lohnes said.
The production and distribution of food shapes landscapes, defines economic systems and informs cultural practices. The exhibit seeks to show that over the past 50 years, the corporate capture of the food system has reinforced gender, race and class inequities in fields and processing factories, kitchens and grocery stores, between households and across neighborhoods.
“Food Justice in Appalachia” will open in the Downtown Campus Library in summer 2021 with an online component also available. Later plans include travel throughout the state and archiving in the Research Repository, researchrepository.wvu.edu. This is the fourth large, cross-disciplinary and collaboratively curated exhibition coordinated by WVU Libraries.
“We want bring together artists, storytellers, students and scholars to highlight the intersecting values that shape our foodways through the lens of regional food activists working to address hunger and build alternative food futures through various media in this collaboratively curated exhibition,” Libraries Exhibit Coordinator Sally Brown said.
The deadline to submit proposals is Feb. 1. Details and the submission form are available at exhibits.lib.wvu.edu/gallery_foodjustice.
Sponsorships are available starting at $100 to help the production of this exhibit. Contact Libraries Development Director Paula Martinelli at paula.martinelli@mail.wvu.edu for more information.
To launch the discussion, Lohnes will give a virtual presentation on food justice in Appalachia at noon Jan. 22, as part of the Art in the Libraries Virtual Program Series. Register for the Zoom presentation here.
Sign language interpreting and captioning services are available by request for participants who are deaf or hard of hearing. To request an interpreter or captioner, contact Jason.Kapcala@mail.wvu.edu at least three business days prior to the event.
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