Three UC Davis scholars—artist and professor Margaret Laurena Kemp, a sociologist, and a Ph.D. student—reflect on the exhibition 'Breath(e): Toward Climate and Social Justice' at the Manetti Shrem Museum. The show, curated by Glenn Kaino and Mika Yoshitake, combines climate change and social justice themes through works like Jin-me Yoon's video installation 'Turning Time (Pacific Flyways),' 2022. Kemp incorporates the exhibit into her course, using breathwork and dance to engage students with Black literature and visual art, culminating in a student performance at the museum on November 13.
This matters because the exhibition and related coursework model how art can address urgent socio-political and environmental issues, fostering interdisciplinary dialogue between the arts, climate science, and social justice. By integrating breathwork and performance, the project offers students a creative, embodied approach to learning, highlighting the role of museums as spaces for critical engagement and community healing.