Month show strengthens sense of belonging

By Michael C. Butz

Dozens of exhibitions are held each year at the Cleveland Institute of Art. From the larger shows in Reinberger Gallery to the smaller ones that pop up throughout the building, they all showcase the talent and creativity of the CIA community.

In Our Skin did that, too, but it accomplished something greater.

This group exhibition was organized by CIA’s Black Scholars and Artists (BSA) student organization and featured more than 80 works by 30 students and recent alumni. It invited viewers to join discussions of colorism, racial disparities, bias, development and their connections to gentrification, beauty standards and the defiance of the social “norm.”

Exhibited this past February in CIA’s Alan Lipson Gallery, In Our Skin represented BSA’s inaugural Black History Month exhibition—a noteworthy achievement in its own right. But, significantly, it also gave the artists a sense of community that some hadn’t yet experienced at CIA.

This was felt among the students through the teamwork involved with developing, organizing and installing the exhibition, but it was more broadly shared during the opening reception, where Drawing sophomore Jazzee Rozier “experienced an overwhelming amount of joy.”

“There were more people than I expected, and it felt like a huge success—like stepping into a new light as a minority group in a school with a majority of white people,” says Rozier, who had several pieces in the show. “It felt like all of us were being seen in the spotlight for once, like nothing could overshadow us in that moment. Nothing felt wrong, everything felt right, everything felt in place—and it was really nice.”

CIA Financial Aid counselor Caprice Odom, a BSA advisor, echoed Rozier’s sentiments.

“The community support was beautiful at the event,” she says. “The students were overwhelmed, surprisingly overwhelmed. They were worried they wouldn’t get the support. It was very refreshing, and it meant so much to them. Again, the basis behind (BSA) starting was they didn’t feel like they were part of this community as Black students. To see that support actually happen, I think it changed the course of some things.”

Origin stories

BSA was formed in 2016 to create community for Black students at CIA, and the idea for a Black History Month exhibition dates back to the club’s formation. But, before it could happen, the group had to establish itself—which it did, until COVID halted its momentum.

Not only were in-person and on-campus interactions minimized, but students who’d played key leadership roles in BSA graduated. “So, we had to wait until we had another group of kids who were eager to be part of CIA’s community,” says Associate Director of Financial Aid Delores Hall, also a BSA advisor.

Post-COVID, BSA steadily regathered. Still, hesitancy remained around the idea of a Black History Month exhibition. Hall credits support and encouragement from President + CEO Kathryn J. Heidemann and Yvette Sobky Shaffer, Vice