The demonstrations and protests that have swept the country over the last few years are part of a long history of Americans taking to the streets to demand change. In this talk, Sarah Kianovsky takes a close look at Lewis Rubenstein and Rico Lebrun’s Hunger March mural, which was inspired by one such event that reverberated for decades afterward.

This talk is part of a series investigating power dynamics in artworks across the collections. Considering intersections of art and power, our curatorial team will discuss how artists engage with social and political crises, use art to upset systems of power, and imagine more equitable futures.

Speaker:
Sarah Kianovsky, Curator of the Collection, Division of Modern and Contemporary Art

Work discussed:
Lewis W. Rubenstein, American, and Rico Lebrun, American, The Hunger March, 1933. True fresco. Harvard Art Museums/Fogg Museum, Gift of Lewis W. Rubenstein, 1933.192.

Want to learn more?

Lewis Rubenstein’s sketchbook documenting a hunger march to Washington, D.C., 1932.

Dorothy Day. “Hunger Marchers in Washington.” Commonweal 48, December 24, 1932.

“Unveiling Structure.” Index Magazine, Harvard Art Museums, March 10, 2015.

Colleen Walsh. “Art for Viewers’ Sake.” Harvard Gazette, April 16, 2014.