Showcasing recent work from the IU Southeast Ceramics Program, “Bread and Roses: Recent Work from IUS Ceramics” included the work of eleven students, Sam Chumley, Charlyn Corum, Samuel Fanning, Lalana Fedorschak, Abigail Peacock, Jenny Reed, Leia Roberts, MacKenzie Roberts, Jennifer Pelkey, Liz Walker, Dallas Wooten, and two IUS Ceramics professors, Brian Harper and Bill Wilkey. Inspired by a labor and immigrant rights slogan attributed to Rose Schneiderman, the exhibition title, “Bread and Roses” references a quote from a 1911 speech in which she advocated for the worker’s right to a wage that would provide something higher than subsistence living. Throughout her career, Schneiderman was instrumental in fighting for safe working conditions in the early 1900’s and pushed for the passage of the New York state referendum giving women the right to vote in 1917. In one of her speeches, the line “The worker must have bread, but she must have roses, too.” Advocated that mere survival was not enough, the worker needed beauty in their life as well.
In the IU Southeast Ceramics Program, we strive to create objects with purpose, works of art that expand our senses and add meaning to our lives. Like so many of the ideals that Schneiderman fought for, we embrace the value of community and work together as makers to build a creative environment that supports and inspires each of us.
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