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New Exhibit at USF’s Contemporary Art Museum

Her Campus Placeholder Avatar Jasmin Lankford
Her Campus Placeholder Avatar Justine Figueroa
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at USF chapter.

 

By this point in the semester, you might feel as though you have been everywhere on campus. You’ve dined in Fresh Foods and Juniper Poplar, you’ve studied in the library while sipping on Starbucks, and you’ve hung out in the Marshall Student Center. After visiting all of the normal go-to places on campus, do you find yourself bored of the same old same old? Are you ready to branch out of the ordinary? If the answer is yes, then spend some time at the Contemporary Art Museum, located a short distance away from the Marshall Student Center.

Contrary to popular belief, museums aren’t all boring. The Contemporary Art Museum has so much to offer, including different art exhibits and events throughout the semester. The museum is currently hosting SubRosa: The Language of Resistance. SubRosa examines art from all over the world in response to social, political, and environmental oppression. The Latin term sub rosa means secrecy, and refers to the ancient practice of placing a rose over of the door of secret meetings. So the artists in this exhibit are essentially working in secrecy to reveal what is really going on in the different places represented.

The exhibit features art from many different continents and countries, including China, Paraguay, Iran, Palestine, South Africa and Cuba. The artwork from each country focuses on that country’s issues. The artists strive to make a stand against the status quo. These artists are more than just painters or photographers, they are activists.

The artists include Ai Weiwei (China), Ramón Esono Ebalé (Equatorial Guinea), Barbad Golshiri (Iran), Khaled Jarrar (Palestine), Zanele Muholi (South Africa), and José Toirac and Meira Marrero (Cuba). Although they live in oppressive societies, they dare to speak out against what is wrong in the world, and try to fix the problems they face.

I visited SubRosa: The Language of Resistance on Art Thursday with some of my cultural anthropology classmates and we had a great time. I enjoyed walking through the different rooms of the exhibit. I learned information about each individual artist, as well as the meanings behind the artwork in each country. Some might describe SubRosa as depressing, but it is the reality for people in other parts of the world. That’s what made it so interesting to me. The exhibit did not feature made-up people and problems, but real things going on in the world. Going to this exhibit made me want to take a stand and help out others, but it also made me feel grateful for the country I live in and the life I have.

In addition to the SubRosa exhibit, other events are going on at the Contemporary Art Museum throughout the semester. Mark your calendar for the curator’s tour on October 3rd and November 14th, both at 6 p.m. And, although the first Art Thursday has already passed, the next one is coming up on October 24th from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. so save the date. Plus, one of the greatest things about all of these events is that they are free!

SubRosa is on display until Dec. 7. The Contemporary Art Museum is open Monday to Friday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. so stop by soon. For more information check out the museum’s website here!

 

Photo Credits:

http://www.ira.usf.edu/cam/cam_exhibitions.html

http://usfcam.wordpress.com/2013/09/06/art-and-ice-week-of-welcome-at-usfcam/

http://usfcam.wordpress.com/2013/09/06/art-and-ice-week-of-welcome-at-usfcam/

 

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Jasmin Lankford is a junior at the University of South Florida majoring in mass communications with a minor in creative writing. She is the Editor-in-Chief of Her Campus USF. Jasmin is also the Communications committee chair of the College of Arts and Sciences Dean's Student Leadership Society and the Media Coordinator of The Poets at USF. She loves to write about literature, fashion, art, student life and pop culture. She aspires to publish a bestselling book, write and edit for a newspaper or magazine, travel the world, and more. Read her blog here!
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Justine is a recent graduate of the University of South Florida. She received her B.A. in mass communcations in spring 2014. She was the 2013-2014 Campus Correspondent for Her Campus USF.She was also a News & Feature Writing Intern for College of Arts and Sciences and the Public Relations Campus Rep for Rent the Runway at USF. She is currently seeking agency experience and would love to someday work for a magazine, become a novelist, poet, editor, host of a Travel Channel show and much more.  She enjoys writing about fashion, beauty, art, literature, pop culture and student life. She spends most days listening to Lana del Rey, calming her nerves with various types of cheese, being sassy and trying to figure out when she can take a nap.Check out her website and portfolio here.She'd love you forever, if you followed her on Twitter @tinafigs_.Contact Justine regarding business inquires only at justinefigueroa@hercampus.com.