The chilly Friday night of November 10 welcomed the opening of the newest Trout Gallery exhibition “Disruptive: Unruly Texts, Provocative Pictures.” The exhibit includes a selection of prints, photographs, and drawings, as well as pieces that hold a variety of mediums. Each piece has a narrative meant to provoke thought and emotion, and to prompt viewers to “cast a critical eye on the social world.”

The opening night was packed with students, townies, and art lovers. The catering from Marcello’s kept the large crowd happy, as it had to be replenished frequently. With drinks flowing, the crowd was eager to explore not just the “Disruptive” exhibit, but the “Souvenirs of Ruin: Piranesi and the Birth of Western Tourism,” featuring the prints of Giovanni Battista Piranesi’s artwork.

The upper level of the gallery featuring “Disruptive” was hard to move through, due to the magnitude of people. Guests were captivated by trying to decipher the context behind some incredible pieces of art. These pieces were drawn from the Gallery’s permanent collection. The goal of the exhibit was to examine the relationship between text and image. 

A piece that drew in a lot of viewers, perhaps due to its local relevance, was A Perfect Slant by Georgia Deal. The scene depicts the cursive alphabet in the foreground with a classroom setting in the background. This piece is in response to the United States’ off-reservation boarding schools. The work replicates the drawing of Kiowa warrior Etadleuh Doanmoe who was a present in an early example of an off-reservation, forced assimilation experiment for Indigenous People at Fort Marion in St. Augustine, Florida. This operation was led by Captain Richard Henry Pratt, who shortly after founded the Carlisle Indian Industrial School to assimilate Native children.

The “Souvenirs of Ruin” exhibit had nearly as many people as the newest exhibit located above it. Curated by Emily Angelucci ‘24, the exhibit is truly humbling. The massive depictions of the ruins of Roman architecture is captured by Piranesi’s thoughtful inclusion of people in each piece to capture the sheer scope of the architecture. This exhibit opened October 27 and will be on display until February 10. 

“Disruptive” will be on display until April 6. The Trout Gallery is free and open to the public.