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ABERDEEN, S.D. – The Northern State University art department is participating in the For Freedoms 50 State Initiative: a non-partisan, nationwide campaign to use art as a platform for broad civic participation.

Every state is encouraged to hold an event, called an “activation,” that will take place September to November 2018, concurrently with other decentralized art events across the country. Billboards, town halls, lawn signs and exhibitions are the main ways For Freedoms encourages participation in the 50 State Initiative. Northern’s exhibition is the only South Dakota “activation” partnering with the For Freedoms 50 State Initiative.

“Dialogue As Art” is a collaborative exhibition in the Johnson Fine Arts Gallery that will be on display Sept. 4-30. The opening reception is Thursday, Sept. 6, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. A panel consisting of South Dakota educators, artists and community organizers will discuss topics concerning contemporary art issues, supporting art in the community and making art in the Midwest from 7 to 8 p.m.

Signs with the taglines “Freedom Of, Freedom To, Freedom From, Freedom For,” will be mounted on the gallery walls, with a blank space for people to fill in a response to the prompts. Postcards of the same design will remain available throughout the duration of the exhibition for visitors to fill in and stick to the gallery wall, contributing to an evolving dialogue.

For Freedoms was founded in 2016 by Hank Willis Thomas and Eric Gottesman as an artist-run initiative. Their name is derived from Franklin D. Roosevelt’s 1941 State of the Union Address, in which he pronounces the “Four Freedoms” of American liberty: Freedom of Speech, Freedom of Worship, Freedom from Want and Freedom of Fear. For Freedom’s mission is to use art as a vehicle to build greater participation in American Democracy. For more information, please visit www.forfreedoms.org.

About Northern State University

Northern State University is a regional university that offers outstanding academics and exceptional extracurricular activities at an affordable price on a safe, welcoming campus. Northern State recently announced its Educational Impact Campaign, with a goal of raising $45 million for a new South Dakota School for the Blind and Visually Impaired, new athletic and recreation fields, and an on-campus regional sports complex. Once the campaign is complete, NSU will be the recipient of more than $100 million in privately funded building projects and scholarships within a decade. To learn more, visit NSU Admissions.