Dobbserwocky: Robes to Perdition | Plastics, An Acquired Taste | RESPECT

Artists Archives of the Western Reserve

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• Date Thursday, June 11, 2026 - Saturday, August 08, 2026
• Location 1834 E 123rd St Cleveland, OH 44106
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Founded in 1996 by notable Cleveland sculptor David E. Davis and eight other prominent Ohio artists, including Shirley Aley Campbell and Patricia Zinsmeister Parker, the Artists Archives of the Western Reserve (AAWR) emerged from a shared vision. Recognizing the risk... more

Artists Archives of the Western Reserve has a history of presenting exhibitions that provide social content which are of immediate currency to the communities it serves. It is with that history in mind that we are proud to present a trio of three concurrent exhibitions that tackle some of the difficult problems facing our country today through the lens of art. Barbara Martin’s Plastics, An Acquired Taste and Anne Kmieck’s Dobbserwocky: Robes of Perdition, take on issues of climate degradation, the current fight for current democratic due process, and the historical disregard for women’s autonomy. The third exhibition RESPECT, curated by BIPOC artist, Unity Powell, offers tonal counterbalance, uplifting the breadth of artistic excellence by celebrating the works of accomplished women artists from Northeast Ohio. These exhibitions are each rooted in community connection, collective experience, and the amplification of women’s voices. Together, these exhibitions aim to provoke dialogue, engage intergenerational audiences, and spotlight the interconnectedness of environmental, reproductive, and political justice. Dobbserwocky: Robes to Perdition is a participatory installation envisioned by textile artist Anne Kmieck, as a response to the 2022 Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v. Wade. Influenced by Dante Alighieri’s Inferno and the vivid illustrations of the Inferno by William Blake, Kmieck constructs embroidered judicial robes to be worn by the gallery visitors, thus inviting you to interact with this profound moment in our nation’s history. In addition to the interactions of visitors throughout the exhibition, midway through the opening reception, the Butoh dance group, Birds Who Walk at Night, will wear the robes and parade with the Burden of History Train for the attendees. Plastics, An Acquired Taste by artist Barbara Martin addresses another urgent threat to bodily autonomy: the infiltration of microplastics and toxic polymers into the human body, particularly through pregnancy and infancy, as well as the larger issues of plastic contribution to environmental degradation and climate change. RESPECT is curated by artist, author, and AAWR Board member Unity Powell. This exhibition is meant to celebrate our diversity of woman artists here in NEO and also acts as a counter point to the other two exhibitions whose subject matter can be challenging for individuals. RESPECT features work from Cleveland-area artists Jeanetta Ho, Sarah Kabot, Natalie Lanese, Baila Litton (Archived Artist), Sylvia Munodawafa, Lauren Pearce, and Honey Pierre. These exhibitions will be on display from June 11