Thoughts & Prayers is an exhibit of the mixed-media work of Gregory T. Wilkins.
Wilkins’ work is in public and private collections across the United States. In 2019 and 2016, he received a Prairie Lakes Regional Arts Council Grant funded by the McKnight Foundation. In 2018, he received an Artists on Main Street grant via the Preservation Alliance of Minnesota in partnership with Spring Board for the Arts and with support from the Bush Foundation; his public art piece, Land of Memories, is in Old Town Mankato at Frost Plaza.
Artist’s Statement
The act of sewing is stitched throughout my work. Historically, sewing has been labeled as “women’s work.” As a man, I encourage the viewer to question privilege, what is “valued” work and how does it fit within a global context? Through reconstruction and imagination, I build layers of paint, embroidery thread, photographic collage, ink, etc. The enhanced elements transform into something new, a revelation of the original. Just as “women’s work” has lost cultural currency, my work emphasizes the power and importance of collective history/herstory to understand our collective truth and social constructs.
For example, thoughts and prayers are often used by public officials offering condolences after a publicly notable event, such as a deadly natural disaster or human-created catastrophe. The phrase has received criticism for its repeated usage in the context of gun violence, terrorism, and acts of hate. Thoughts and prayers are a poor substitute for corrective action, like gun control, counter-terrorism, as well as environmental, economic, environmental injustice, et al. Thoughts and prayers have become a soulless mantra where words mean little and whereas actions of the people could be truly transformative. Actions speak louder than meaningless platitudes.
Gallery Hours
- Thursday: 1-7 pm
- Friday: 1-4 pm
- Saturday: 11-5 pm
