The Goldstein Museum of Design at the University of Minnesota has opened a new exhibition titled 'Resist and Reclaim,' which explores design as a tool of both oppression and liberation. The show focuses on denim as a material linked to labor, exploitation, and resistance, featuring 20 custom denim jackets created by local Black and Indigenous women and femme artists, alongside faculty research on architecture and visual culture.
The exhibition matters because it connects academic design research with community-based artistic practice, highlighting how everyday objects carry political and social histories. It actively engages the public through collaborative art-making and educational programs, positioning the museum as a space for dialogue about Indigenous sovereignty, Black liberation, and the power of collective creativity.