Darryl Lauster at National Liberty Museum

National Liberty Museum in Philadelphia features works by the UTA Art Department’s Associate Chair and MFA Director, Professor Darryl Lauster in an exhibition Word Powered that explores freedom of speech as a cornerstone of democracy, on view from February 7 to September 8, 2025. In this group show artists reflect on impactful political events and the role art performs “to better understand how language can be manipulated, suppressed, or celebrated.” The works on view reference events in the national as well as global history such as Cultural Revolution in China, revolutionary movements in Iran among others, the banning of books by different governments, and the threats to free speech in the current era of artificial intelligence and technology.

Darryl Lauster’s installation in this exhibition, titled Discarded Documents, features three bronze sculptures that appear as crumpled, thrown away versions of key documents in American history: the 14th Amendment which granted citizenship in the late 1860s to enslaved Americans and people born in this country, the Oath of Office which our congressional representatives in the House make to defend the Constitution, and the Letter of Indenture. Reflecting on these texts that govern and affect our lives today, Lauster’s work “reminds of our democracy’s past foundations, asks us to consider society’s present values, and encourages the public to face what has been disregarded so they can decide what to uphold or revise,” as stated by the exhibition curators.

Word Powered: Exploring Free Speech Through Art is part of an ongoing 2024-2025 initiative The Year of Free Speech at the National Liberty Museum in Philadelphia. Through a newly adopted visitor experience strategy Past Present, Future, Always, the museum presents and explores a theme surrounding liberty and future of First Amendment rights in the United States through various exhibitions and educational programs.