Although Martin Luther King, Jr. Day was this past Monday, the impact he had along with others around his time will be put on display at the Reece Museum until March 23.
The exhibition “Finite Disappointment/Infinite Hope” began yesterday and was put together by ETSU alumnus Gediyon Kifle, who is the official photographer of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial in Washington, DC. The exhibition pays homage to Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. and other leaders in the Civil Rights movement. The message of the exhibit is to discuss issues dating from the past to current issues America undergoes now.
“It’s making homage to Martin Luther King and the memorial that was built that I documented from a concept to post-dedication,” said Kifle. “I also wanted to incorporate those who walked with him in his journey, Civil Rights leaders.”
A visit with one of his old photography professors at ETSU, Mike Smith, led him to return.
“Last year I spoke at an exhibition at the Reece Museum in front of his [Mike Smith’s] former students,” said Kifle. “I came down and the director of the museum asked me if would I show my work related to the Lincoln Memorial, and that’s how it started.”
The exhibition is a combination of three elements: photography, sound and architectural installation. This will also include a booth where students, staff, faculty and the community will be able to reflect and comment on personal experiences.
The Reece Museum on East Tennessee State University’s campus is open Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. If you have any questions on the exhibition, call the Reece Museum at 423-439-4392 or visit www.etsu.edu/reece.
“I hope to have people come, see and participate, and really look at their thoughts and examine themselves,” said Kifle. “If they do that…to me that is a success.”
