The Institute for Social Concerns believes a just world is a beautiful world and that interconnectedness is essential to nurturing human dignity. The arts make these beliefs visible and play a critical role in the life of the Institute through its courses, research and community partnerships.

In the classroom, visual and performing arts give embodied expression to concepts of justice and serve as pedagogical tools for study and dialogue. Faculty and students engage the arts through research methodologies that promote creative storytelling and give face and voice to individuals and communities often unseen or unheard. In both cultivating an attentiveness to the marginalized and developing avenues of expression for such populations to speak for themselves, the arts provide a platform for encounter and foster a connectivity between and among campus and community members. These communities include artists and partners in South Bend, and the Institute’s interdisciplinary and collaborative public art projects tell local histories that uncover realities of injustice while also celebrating manifestations of human flourishing. For more information about classes offered through the Institute, visit the Justice Education page.

The Institute’s commitment to the arts is also reflected in the very space it inhabits on campus. Geddes Hall welcomes visitors to encounter the arts through permanent collections and rotating exhibits featuring the creative work of students and scholars, local makers and internationally known artists. The Institute’s commitment to the Pokagon Band of the Potawatomi Tribe can be seen in the permanent collection of traditional and contemporary art created by tribal members. The Dignity of Work Mural renders visible the often overlooked custodial staff and honors their contributions to campus. The rotating gallery space has featured work arising out of Institute collaborations with custodial staff, incarcerated women and men, and faculty and students interrogating systemic oppression and inspiring visions of a just and beautiful world through painting, photography, printmaking, ceramics and sculpture.

Virtual Galleries