Silent Protest:
Perspectives on War and Disability
In his 2019 book Deaf Republic, poet Ilya Kaminsky explores the impact of war, displacement, and the experience of trauma on those living with a disability. The power of the literal and metaphorical voice is central to Kaminsky’s evocative story as he weaves descriptions of violence and uncertainty with impactful scenes of resilience and hope. This exhibition, drawn from the museum’s permanent collection, brings together a selection of works that address these themes from multiple artistic perspectives. Examining notions of silence, communication, memory, and conflict in the personal and political arenas, Silent Protest includes excerpts from Deaf Republic displayed in the gallery alongside paintings, photographs, objects and prints that encourage viewers to pause and reflect.
This exhibition is co-curated by Dr. Keri Watson, Associate Professor of Art History at the University of Central Florida, and Dr. Gisela Carbonell, Curator of the Rollins Museum of Art and is part of the 2023-2024 NEA Big Read. An initiative of the National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with Arts Midwest, the NEA Big Read broadens our understanding of our world, our communities, and ourselves through the power of a shared reading experience.
#NEABigRead
Explore UCF's calendar of NEA Big Read events including book clubs, special lectures, book signings, theatrical productions and art exhibitions at both the John C. Hitt Library and the Rollins Museum of Art.
Echoes: Community Responses to Silent Protest, recognizes art’s resonance and potential for cultivating community. Designed as a supplement to Silent Protest— itself a thematic reaction to Kaminsky’s collection of poems—this booklet includes community members’ creative responses to specific artworks featured in the exhibition. Included is an introduction by Rollins Museum of Art Associate Curator of Education David Matteson, poems by City of Orlando Poet Laureate Shaw Welcome, Inaugural City of Orlando Poet Laureate Susan Lilley, and Rollins College '24 student Taylor Ingrassia. Artwork by participants at Easterseals Day Break Center.
Silent Protest: Perspectives on War and Disability Exhibition Booklet for the Rollins Museum of Art Includes an introduction by Rollins Museum of Art Curator, Gisela Carbonell, Ph.D., works from our permanent collection, and an essay by Keri Watson, Ph.D. University of Central Florida.
See the 360-degree virtual view of this exhibition.
