On Wednesday, the opening reception of the FORCE: The UC Policy art exhibit will be held in the Memorial Union (MU) Art Lounge.
Presented by AHI 401, a course that teaches curatorial skills, this art exhibit highlights three student protests on the UC Davis, UC Santa Cruz and UC Berkeley campuses between 2005 and 2011.
“Our main reason for putting on this exhibition was to question the UC police and administration’s recent responses to student protest and how their latest responses compare to their stated missions. We also wanted to examine how campus police are handling student protest in regards to the weaponry and gear they utilize,” said Maizy Enck, a senior art history major.
The goal of the exhibit is to bring awareness to students about the UC administration of UC police departments’ use of force in efforts to control student protests.
The FORCE art exhibit will show photographs and essays to prove that UC officials have used violence in an effort against student demonstrations, according to Enck.
The exhibit is primarily focused on the Nov. 18, 2011 pepper-spray incident, but is also attempting to bring awareness to the 2005 UC Santa Cruz protest and the 2009 UC Berkeley protest.
On Wednesday a reception will take place from 3 to 6 p.m., with a forum from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m.
“We want our audience to leave the exhibition with a clear understanding of what happened at these protests, why the students were protesting, what findings and recommendations were made to the UC campuses following the protests, and if these recommendations have been followed,” Enck said.
— Danielle Huddlestun
