(Dayton, Ohio) – The driving question for this project: “Are the man-made tragedies of suffering, poverty, discrimination and environmental degradation conditions that human beings are willing and able to eliminate or substantially reduce or are we so entrenched in our individual and group beliefs that our actions that create and foster these conditions are destined to persist throughout the remainder of human history? (Read that again.)
Optimistically and obstinately, many continue to push for meaningful social, cultural and environmental change. However, many of these pushes or struggles around the world happen in solitude or obscurity. Artificial borders, gender, religion, skin color and other factors play a large part in whether others are willing to take up another’s struggle or even recognize that a problem even exist. However, Martin Luther King, Jr. once said “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere” and so pronouncing that our fates are interdependent and intertwined. We ALL share a common existence that is fragile and dangerous while at the same time full of beauty and love. We’re Doing It ALL Wrong™ doesn’t mean every action we take has negative consequence. It means that we’ve let the effects of greed, fear, complacency and apathy go too far, and without real change on various levels, this unsustainable existence we live will only lead to more suffering, more poverty, more discrimination and more environmental degradation until fragility and danger is all that is left. Artists from across the United States and throughout the world answered the call for this exhibition to add their perspective to the issues they see around them and in doing so provide more opportunity for recognition, dialogue and action that can bring much needed change. These artists submitted artwork from countries around world including Canada, Italy, the United Kingdom, Israel, Iran, New Zealand and the United States.
Art can be a unifying force. It can be thought provoking and informative. With that in mind, the Edward A. Dixon Gallery created the project entitled, We’re Doing It ALL Wrong™. A gallery initiative to highlight issues large and small that have persisted in our cultures, institutions, organizations, spiritual lives and governments for far too long. The goal is to have conversations that lead to new ways to tackle old problems. “Too many times, we’ve continued to do things because they’re tradition or that’s the way we’ve always done it. However, it’s time for a change and in some cases a fresh start. There are too many issues that affect our daily lives, our futures and our planet that need real, long lasting solutions, now.” ~ Ed Dixon, Gallery Owner.
The 3 month long exhibition opening in May 2021 titled We’re Doing It ALL Wrong™ seeks to create dialogue and spark ideas related to the many ways humanity continually fails itself. Artists were encouraged to submit artwork that captures or is a comment on a tradition, a system, a practice, an institution or anything they see that needs repair or removal that has existed in this condition for far too long. Another ambitious goal of the exhibition is to find a signature piece or pieces of artwork that while keeping to the exhibition’s theme defines our current period in history from the artist’s viewpoint. One art piece can tell so many stories and the goal is to find pieces that will speak to future generations and tell a story about our time. Each artist was required to submit original Artwork (no reproductions) except in the case of Digital Artwork or Photography. Artwork submitted should speak to the exhibit’s title and description. Artists were asked to choose an additional category for their artwork. Does the topic of their art exist in a gray area or is it a clear cut, black and white issue with almost universal agreement of its need for change? Artists were simply asked to choose Gray or Black & White and include that choice in the application.
The judges for the exhibition are three art professionals, Ann Kim and Ed Dixon from the Dayton, OH area and Erin McCarthy from Boston, Massachusetts, who will select the artwork for the exhibition and choose the prize winners including Best of Show.
The exhibition will run from May 7th through July 31st and be viewable at the pop-up gallery located at 133 N. Ludlow Street on Fridays 4pm-8pm and Saturdays 1pm-7pm, online at weredoingitallwrong.com, and by appointment by clicking here.