An exhibition titled "Turn the Page" has opened in the Updike Room at the Providence Public Library, featuring works by artists who transform books into art. Curated by Brown University lecturer Andre Bassuet, the show includes pieces like Iris Wright's wearable "Book Body No. 7: Palimpsest," which addresses censorship and queer erasure, and Michael Ezzell's ongoing "The Junior Classic" series, which repurposes deaccessioned library book pages. The exhibition runs through January 31.
The exhibition matters because it directly engages with the current climate of book bans and censorship in the United States, particularly targeting queer stories. By giving discarded or controversial books a second life as art, the artists defy efforts to silence certain narratives and emphasize the resilience of creative expression. The show also highlights the collaborative spirit between the library and local academic institutions, turning a historic space into a platform for political and artistic commentary.