“Up in Arms” examines the very weapons that dismantle the fabric of families and communities in Nashville and beyond.

It shines a spotlight on the arms that should offer support but instead inflict harm. It questions the arms entrusted with protection yet causes immeasurable damage. It challenges the arms that seek to restrict and deny basic rights. It challenges the arms that legislate love and suppress self-expression. As curators, we approach this topic through a lens of empowerment, love, and unity, amplifying our collective voice and artistic expression to say "enough is enough." No more excuses. No more lives cut short. No more distorted notions of protection. No more absence of diverse representation in our decision-making bodies. We strive to shift from being ‘up in arms’ to being embraced within the loving arms of our family, friends, and community. It is time to confront and challenge the normalization of these circumstances, urging us no longer to accept them as the status quo and demand change.

Co-curated by Evan Roosevelt Brown and Clarence Edward
📍 Wedgewood Houston at the Historic Merritt Mansion