A Love Letter to This Bridge Called My Back will exhibit at Urban Arts Space from May 21–June 29, 2024, celebrating the works of various artists who collaborated on the 2022 anthology A Love Letter to This Bridge Called My Back—which honors the highly influential 1981 anthology This Bridge Called My Back by Gloria Anzaldúa and Cherríe Moraga—to bring the text to a new generation of feminist women of color.

More than a retrospective, A Love Letter serves as a testament to the ongoing impact of Anzaldúa and Moraga’s influential text. The works in this exhibition span across several mediums, including poetry, art, photography, and excerpts from the original text. Through these pieces, each artist demonstrates their relationship to the anthology’s seminal ideas through a diverse series of perspectives. Visitors are invited to connect their experiences with those across generations and grow a stronger understanding of others as well as themselves.

Dr. Joni Acuff and Dr. gloria wilson were both editors for the text A Love Letter to This Bridge Called My Back and curators of the exhibition at Urban Arts Space. Dr. Joni B. Acuff is a Professor of Art Education at Ohio State and serves as the Ohio State Arts Administration, Education, and Policy Department Chair. Of the exhibition, Dr. Acuff commented, “A Love Letter serves as a reminder that we, women of color, are connected by our experiences, by our love, and by our collective power. This exhibition is a visual reminder of our multidimensionality, vibrancy, and strength. I’m so excited to be part of such a critical project of self-love and love sharing.”

Dr. gloria wilson is recognized for her work in Black Studies and intersectionality in arts spaces. The founder of Racial Justice Studio at the University of Arizona, Dr. wilson now works as an Associate Professor of Arts Administration, Education, and Policy at Ohio State. Dr. wilson shared she’s thrilled to celebrate the aesthetic works of the anthology contributors through this exhibition, adding, “The selected series of artworks and poetic pronouncements are a powerful testament to the ongoing impacts of the original groundwork that Gloria Anzaldúa and Cherríe Moraga laid in 1979. I hope this exhibit and work continues to spark inspiration and dialogue for generations to come.”

An opening reception will be hosted on Saturday, May 25 from 4–6 PM at Urban Arts Space alongside artists from the FREEQUENCY exhibition that will be running concurrently. A panel discussion and closing reception featuring Dr. Acuff, Dr. wilson, and other artists will take place on Thursday, June 27 from 6–8 PM at Urban Arts Space.