Over the last two years, Memorialize the Movement has hosted our annual Justice for George exhibition to commemorate George Floyd’s life and legacy by providing a space for healing and creativity for our Black, Indigenous, and other communities of color. Justice for George 2021 and 2022 were large-scale exhibitions that took place in Phelps Field Park with many elements including live muralists, musical performances, and a resource fair of community organizations.
This year, Justice for George 2023: Breaking Barriers, Building Bonds will be hosted on May 27th and 28th. This year’s event is being reimagined as a public retreat with a goal to activate the murals as a vessel to spark conversation around mental health and holistic healing practices within BIPOC communities from the effects of the 2020 uprising and the COVID-19 global pandemic.
Staying true to our mission, the murals will be the focal point of this event. The creation of these murals during the 2020 uprising was not only a form of protest, but one of holistic healing, where painting on the plywood panels of boarded up storefronts provided community members a way to express themselves during a tumultuous time on their own terms. We want to honor the legacy of Mr. Floyd and the artists who created the murals by using this year's event to highlight the holistic healing resources that are available in our community.
This year we’re spreading the event out over two days!
Day 1: Breaking Barriers
This is all about breaking down systemic practices within the museum industry that prevent Black and Brown communities from accessing the arts and seeing themselves represented in art.
Highlights:
- Opening day of the MTM exhibition featuring murals collected in 2020 and beyond
- A panel discussion featuring local artists on the topic of art and mental health
- Paint to Express workshop
Day 2: Building Bonds
This day is about celebrating our community and uplifting the artists, performers, and wellness practitioners who are doing the important work of healing our community so that we can keep going. It’s about reminding ourselves that rest is a radical act protest.
Highlights:
- Interactive mural painting
- Wellness practitioners and vendors
- Food
- Live music