CONSCIENCE OF A NATION

V.L. Cox brings her internationally known artwork and the 'End Hate' doors, to the Hudson Valley Museum of Contemporary Art to be exhibited for the first time in the Hudson River Valley. Cox is a professional artist of 30 years whose work has been highly active in projects that involve Human Rights and Equality. In 2015 she launched her National ‘End Hate’ project, an anti-discrimination series based on segregation era doors in response to HB1228, a dangerous Religious Freedom Bill in Arkansas. This powerful series employs authentic and found objects that create a visceral presentation commenting on historical events and relevant human rights issues that continue to be important topics in the 21st century. The doors were placed twice on the steps of the Arkansas State Capitol then twice at the base of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. The response was overwhelming. Images of the door installation went viral and were seen on Yahoo News, USA Today, in numerous newspapers across the country and as far away as India and South Korea.

Performances and events inspired by the work in the exhibit will be presented in Studio Theater In Exile by members of the Peekskill Creative Community, including poetry readings and a new dance suite choreographed by Sharon Simmons Wright. In 2020, Cox was one of twenty artists in the nation to be featured in "Ministry of Truth: 1984/2020,” a New York City billboard project which made the New York Times “Most Important Moments in Art in 2020” list. Her work has opened at prominent locations such as The LGBT Center in New York, NY, The Virginia Longwood Center for the Visual Arts Museum in collaboration with the Moton Museum, where the Vice-Presidential debates were held, the Rosa Parks Museum in Montgomery, Alabama, coinciding with the Equal Justice Initiative, National Memorial for Peace and Justice opening, the Virginia Holocaust Museum in Richmond, Virginia and the Delta Cultural Center in Helena, Arkansas, to commemorate the 100th Year Anniversary of the Elaine Massacre. In 2023, Cox was awarded a Distinguished Alumni Award from Henderson State University and in 2024 was one of 120 artists selected nationwide for the exhibition ‘Into Action 2024’ sponsored by Taskforce, promoting change and the power of voting during the Democratic National Convention in Chicago.

The Doors will be exhibited in Studio Theater in Exile @ HVMOCA. V.L. Cox’s other works will be in the museum’s galleries. On June 28 at 3:00, Cox will discuss the 'End Hate' installation with artist talkback in the Studio Theater in Exile Theatre@HVMOCA. Reservations are not required. During the course of the exhibits, various events: dance, plays, and poetry inspired by Cox’s work will be performed in Studio Theater in Exile.

For more information about the exhibition: Contact: Hudson Valley MOCA, 1701 Main Street, Peekskill, NY 10566, (914) 788-0100.