Meadows Museum exhibition highlights veteran suicide epidemic
November 2, 2016
SHREVEPORT, LA — The exhibition “Acceptable Losses” by the Critical Art Ensemble is now showing at the Meadows Museum of Art through January 22, 2017. This conceptual exhibition, consisting of 62 statistical panels about the causes of American deaths, leads viewers to question why some sacrifices lead to radical, immediate action, such as nationwide product recalls, while others, such as suicide or car accidents, can become an epidemic before the problem is addressed.
Internationally renowned arts collective Critical Art Ensemble has been focused on exploring the intersections between art, critical theory, technology, and political activism worldwide since 1987. This group of five tactical media practitioners has exhibited and performed at diverse venues internationally, ranging from the street, to the museum, to the internet. Museum exhibitions include the Whitney Museum and the New Museum in NYC, the Corcoran Museum in Washington D.C., the ICA, London, the MCA, Chicago, Schirn Kunsthalle Frankfurt, Musée d'Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris, and the London Museum of Natural History.
A free happy hour with a lecture by Steve Kurtz, artist and co-founder of Critical Art Ensemble, will be held on Friday, November 11 at 7:00 p.m.
The Meadows will also host presentations aimed at suicide awareness and prevention by licensed social workers. On Tuesday, December 6 at 6:00 p.m., Tina Feldt, Director of Centenary's Counseling and Disability Services, will present “Your Story is Not Over: Embracing the Next Chapter.” On Friday, December 9 at 6:00 p.m., Overton Brooks VA Suicide Prevention Team members DeJuana Petteway & Roy Watts, will present Operation SAVE. This program, developed by the Department of Veterans Affairs, stresses that no suicidal loss is acceptable. It will teach attendees how to act with care and compassion if they encounter a person who is suicidal. The acronym “SAVE” summarizes the steps needed to take an active and valuable role in suicide prevention:
- Signs of suicidal thinking
- Ask questions
- Validate the person’s experience
- Encourage treatment and Expedite getting help
These events are free and open to the public. The "Acceptable Losses" exhibit is generously underwritten by the Attaway Professorships in Civic Culture Program.
About the Meadows Museum of Art
The Meadows Museum of Art is located on the campus of Centenary College of Louisiana at 2911 Centenary Boulevard in Shreveport, Louisiana. The Museum is free and open to the public Mondays from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m., Tuesdays from 10 a.m. until 8 p.m., Wednesdays from 9 a.m. until 6 p.m., Thursdays from noon until 4 p.m., Fridays from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m. and Sundays from noon until 4 p.m. Closed on Saturdays and school holidays. For more information or to schedule field trips, call the Museum at 318-869-5040, or visit centenary.edu/meadows.