Statement of Purpose

The Riot Show
Statement of Purpose
Michael Faris and Unique Hughley

The Riot Show is an interdisciplinary exhibition that explores the causes and attributes of so-called race riots. The show includes visual art created by Michael Faris and poetry created by Unique Hughley. This exhibit was spurred by the history of police brutality during civil rights demonstrations in the United States and the events following the police shooting death of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri.

The Riot Show illustrates the ideology and methods that law enforcement officials use to prevent people from holding demonstrations against police violence. The poetry and visual works chronicle major historical events in the Civil Rights Movement, such as the arrest of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in Birmingham. The exhibition also illustrates more contemporary events related to civil rights, such as the long series of police shootings of Black men and the ensuing demonstrations at various cities such as Ferguson, Missouri.

This exhibit is associated with Critical Enlightenment Theory, a component of Critical Race Theory that asserts that there are perceptible strategies and tactics used by a hegemonic group to maintain the oppression of other groups.

This show contains twenty visual artworks and twenty poems, all related to the themes of riots.