(OFF)BALANCE: Art in the Age of Human Impact

(OFF)BALANCE: Art in the Age of Human Impact invites viewers to explore the intricate ways we interact with, interpret, and shape our environment—both internal and external. The exhibition challenges audiences to reflect on themes of transformation, human intervention, and the tension between destruction and conservation. The ensemble of works highlight how human involvement in the environment is both essential and disruptive shaping our Anthropocene era — an era marked by human activities that have significantly impacted the Earth's geology and ecosystems. Many of the featured artists in the exhibition critically engage with the built environment and social landscape they inhabit, and through a range of media including drawing, lithography, painting, photography, and installation, these artists abstract, render, intervene, and respond to a world with which they maintain a reciprocal relationship.  

This exhibition is co-curated by Adeyemi Adebayo, MFA studio arts candidate; Eva Barajas, MA art education candidate; and Bo Kim, MFA studio arts candidate.  

The University Museum of Contemporary Art’s annual Graduate Curatorial Exhibition is the culmination of a year-long independent project, conducted by students from key graduate programs including history of art and architecture, studio arts, Afro-American studies, and art education. The program was initiated by the museum in 2006 and it has been supported by the Eva Fierst Student Curatorial Exhibition Fund since 2021. 

Featuring works pulled primarily from the museum’s permanent collection, the exhibition demonstrates the strength and diversity of more than 3,800 works of art held by UMass. Students apply each spring, and a team of two to three students is selected. Throughout the program, the students have the opportunity to work on all aspects of creating an exhibition. They research objects, devise a thematic framework, write all exhibition texts including a central essay, design the exhibition layout, assist with installation, and produce an opening reception and related public event.  

The University Museum of Contemporary Art is grateful to the Eva Fierst Curatorial Exhibition Fund for supporting this annual museum project. 

Opening Reception and Panel Discussion
March 26, 5 - 7 p.m.
Randolph W. Bromery Center for the Arts lobby
Join us on March 26 from 5:30 to 7 p.m. in the Randolph W. Bromery Center for the Arts lobby for a thought-provoking panel discussion accompanying the exhibition (OFF)BALANCE: Art in the Age of Human Impact. This conversation brings together artists, curators, and scholars to explore the evolving role of art in responding to environmental crises, human intervention, and the Anthropocene era.

Panelists Xuan Pham (Mount Holyoke visiting assistant professor, art studio), Karen Kurczynski (UMass professor, modern and contemporary art), and Evan Garza (MASS MoCA curator) will examine how artistic practices, curation, and scholarship intersect with ecological and social challenges. Key topics include art’s role in environmental activism, the ethics of curation, and cross-disciplinary collaboration in addressing sustainability and human impact.

Moderated by Adeyemi Adebayo, Eva Barajas, Bo Kim (University Museum of Contemporary Art 2024-2025 curatorial fellows), this discussion will provide critical insights into how contemporary art reflects, critiques, and reshapes our relationship with the natural world. Open to all.

Drawing Workshop
April 22 (Earth Day), 3-5 p.m.
Randolph W. Bromery Center for the Arts lobby
“Seeing Slowly, Drawing Deeply: Repositioning Ourselves with the Earth” is a two-hour Earth Day drawing workshop designed to foster reflection, artistic engagement, and environmental awareness. Hosted as part of the exhibition (OFF)BALANCE: Art in the Age of Human Impact at the University Museum of Contemporary Art, this event invites participants to explore the intricate relationship between humanity and the natural world.

Rooted in mindfulness, slow looking, and creative expression, the workshop encourages deep observation of selected artworks, prompting participants to reflect on environmental transformation and personal agency. Through guided drawing exercises, attendees will visually engage with themes of ecological impact, resilience, and interconnectedness.

By blending phenomenology, eco-criticism, and participatory art, this session positions drawing as a tool for both personal reflection and collective engagement. Open to all skill levels, the workshop creates an inclusive space for dialogue, creativity, and renewed connection with nature, aligning with the UMass Arts Council’s mission to enrich campus life through art.

REGISTER HERE

Collective Access: Constructing Ecosystems of Care, Equity, and Education in the Arts
Friday, April 25, 10:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.
Virtual Program
How can the ecosystems at the intersection of art, education, and disability justice embody abundance, collectivity, and accountability even when the external forces of division and inequity are escalating?

Join us for a virtual convening, “Collective Access: Constructing Ecosystems of Care, Equity, and Education in the Arts,” for a conversation on educational access, joy, creative labor, and equity in art praxis.

Hosted as part of the exhibition (OFF)BALANCE: Art in the Age of Human Impact at the University Museum of Contemporary Art, we invite participants to question the role of artists, educators, and cultural works in building sustainable, cross-movement solidarity ecosystems.

Co-facilitated by Carla Gaskins-Nathan (Zelah LLC, NYC) — a wellness consultant, ritualist, and healing artist — this workshop invites participants to explore the roles that we all play in service of our social change values and community.
 
Open to all. Register by April 12 to receive a pre-workshop activity care package.

Program will be recorded with recording available to registrants. Program will also include CART. ASL interpretation available upon request.

REGISTER HERE