/ De Pree Art Gallery

Hateful Things | Resilience

August 26–October 7, 2016

Hateful Things | Resilience exhibit: Friday, August 26–October 7Hateful Things | Resilience is a dual exhibition highlighting the importance of racial healing and equality.

Hateful Things

Hateful Things is a traveling sample from Ferris State University’s Jim Crow Museum of Racist Memorabilia that features a collection of racist objects which trace the history of the stereotyping of African Americans. The exhibition contributes to and is in dialogue with the scholarly examination of historical and contemporary expressions of racism and visual culture. It also seeks to promote racial understanding and healing.

The exhibit was created by David Pilgrim, who is a professor of sociology, vice president of diversity and inclusion and museum curator at Ferris State University; and Carrie Stermer, who is director of Ferris State University’s Fine Art Gallery.

Pilgrim originally began by purchasing and disposing of racially insulting items wherever he found them. He began collecting the items when he recognized their historical significance. He views the collection of images and artifacts not as a traditional museum, but as a learning and teaching laboratory, where the images of intolerance are used to teach tolerance.

Resilience

Resilience was curated by Dr. Heidi Kraus and features world-renowned contemporary African-American artists from the Kruizenga Art Museum and Chicago’s Monique Meloche Gallery, including Faith Ringgold, Sanford Biggers and Lorna Simpson.

The works in Resilience, while in conversation with the history of African-American oppression, focus on demonstrating a resilience of spirit and hope for racial equality.

Press release for Hateful Things | Resilience 

Hope College blog post on Hateful Things | Resilience 

Opening Reception

Friday, September 9 | 6–7:30 p.m.
De Pree Art Center and Gallery

  • A dimly lit hallway features an exhibit with three prominent posters on the wall. From left to right, the posters are titled "WHITE," "HATEFUL THINGS," and "RESILIENCE." The "WHITE" poster includes an image and an object, while the other two contain textual descriptions. Further down the hallway, there is a framed artwork of a person with their hand on their face.
  • An exhibition space displaying racist memorabilia and historical artifacts related to the stereotyping of African Americans. The collection includes framed signs with discriminatory messages, such as "We reserve the right to seat our customers!" and "White," along with other items like a sack with a caricatured black figure. The exhibit is part of "Hateful Things," illustrating the history and impact of racism while promoting understanding and healing.
  • An exhibition space featuring framed artifacts on a wall, including a sign that reads "I AM A MAN" and another that says "WHITE ONLY COLORED." To the right, a sculpture of a running figure is displayed in a glass case. The setting is part of the "Hateful Things" exhibition from Ferris State University’s Jim Crow Museum of Racist Memorabilia.
  • A dimly lit exhibition space featuring a glass display case with wooden and ceramic objects, and colorful framed artworks on the walls. The exhibit focuses on the historical and contemporary expressions of racism and resilience of African-American spirit and hope for racial equality.
  • A gallery room featuring framed racist memorabilia on the walls and a glass display case with a yellow sack adorned with a caricature of an African American. The exhibition aims to educate about the history and impact of racism.
  • Exhibit room featuring the "Hateful Things" traveling sample from Ferris State University’s Jim Crow Museum of Racist Memorabilia. The room displays framed artworks and racist memorabilia, including a central glass case with objects on a pedestal. The walls have informational plaques next to each piece.
  • A museum exhibit wall displaying various framed racist memorabilia and artifacts from the Jim Crow era. The display includes a board game, an advertisement, and other framed items. The exhibit aims to educate on the history and impact of racist stereotypes against African Americans.
  • A dimly lit gallery room features various framed racist caricatures and objects stereotyping African Americans. The exhibit includes posters and masks displaying derogatory imagery. Two objects are displayed in clear cases, one being a blackface mask and the other a head in a red bandana. The exhibit aims to educate on the history and impact of racist memorabilia.
  • An exhibition space featuring various artworks and artifacts, including framed pieces on the walls and a sculptural figure in a clear display case. The room is dimly lit, with a focus on the displayed items, contributing to the exhibit's contemplative atmosphere.
  • An exhibition space featuring three art pieces hanging on the wall. On the left, a framed colorful geometric pattern artwork. In the center, a large textile piece with orange and black zigzag patterns and wave designs. On the right, a large quilt with intricate circular patterns and a pink border. The space is softly lit, with informational plaques next to each piece.
  • An art gallery displaying quilts and framed artworks on the walls. The lighting is dim, with individual artworks illuminated by spotlights. The largest quilt on the right side features a circular, intricate pattern with various colors, while the other quilt and framed pieces on the left wall include geometric and floral designs. The space appears modern with high ceilings and visible overhead lights in the background.
  • An art gallery featuring various exhibits. Two quilts hang on the walls, one with a zigzag pattern and the other with a floral design. Nearby, framed pictures and artifacts are displayed on white partitions. The gallery is dimly lit, creating a focused atmosphere for viewing the artworks.

Related Events

The college is also hosting multiple campus-wide events in conjunction with the exhibitions between September 9–30. These additional events will begin with a screening of the film From Jim Crow to Barack Obama on Friday, September 9, at 4 p.m. in Cook Auditorium of the De Pree Art Center and Gallery. A discussion led by filmmaker Denise Ward-Brown of Washington University in St. Louis will follow.

The Ebony Road Players will present “A Simple Question” on Tuesday, September 13, at 7:30 p.m. in the DeWitt Center studio theatre. The production celebrates the impact of the 1967 landmark Supreme Court Case Loving v. Virginia, which overturned laws that prevented interracial marriage.

Marcy Sachs of Albion College will present the lecture “The Most Laughable Things I Had Ever Seen: Currier & Ives’ ‘Darktown Comics’” on Wednesday, September 21, at 4 p.m. in the Fried-Hemenway Auditorium of the Martha Miller Center for Global Communication.

In addition, the college’s fall Arts and Humanities Symposium will examine “Am I Not Human? Racial Identities in Modern America” on Friday, September 30, from 1–4 p.m.

Gallery Hours

Monday–Saturday: 
10 a.m.–5 p.m.

Sunday: 1–5 p.m.

The gallery is handicapped accessible. Admission is free.

Hope CollegeDe Pree Art Gallery

De Pree Art Center275 Columbia AvenueHolland, MI 49423

workP. 616.395.7500