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“It is as if I had been looking at a fishbowl — the glide and flick of the golden scales, the green tip, the bolt of white careening back from the gills; the castles at the bottom, surrounded by pebbles and tiny, intricate fronds of green; the barely disturbed water, the flecks of waste and food, the tranquil bubbles traveling to the surface — and suddenly I saw the bowl, the structure that transparently (and invisibly) permits the ordered life it contains to exist in the larger world.” Toni Morrison

Once you see the fishbowl you can’t unsee the clear water. It was through studying and making relationships with people who were further along in their learning than me that I was able to understand racism systemically—not as something that only “mean people” do, but as a thoughtful, intentional design that people made sure happened on purpose for hundreds of years. The work is designed as though I’m in conversation with another Black woman. It walks the viewer through my own process of unlearning and ends with where I’m trying to go. My exhibition offers grace in the reality that none of us are done. It references podcasts, books, articles, and scriptures to hold the viewer accountable to themselves and others in the same loving way that God has done for us. I want people to leave this exhibit with a new understanding of dismantling racism that feels more spiritual than divisive. This is Clear Water.

Shop Online
melaniewalby.com/shop

View the Work Online
UWEC Virtual Gallery Tour #ClearWaterExhibit

Interviews and Press
Volume One  Wisconsin Public Radio
  Reclaiming My Theology Podcast

Preorder the Book
melaniewalby.com/product/clerwaterbook

View the Kickstarter
kickstarter.com/projects/clearwaterbook/clear-water

 

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