The ninth annual UPRISING art exhibition at St. Olaf College, titled 'I Can’t Draw,' confronts anxiety around art-making by creating a judgment-free, communal space for creating art together. The student-curated show features works like 'Self-Acceptance Is My Oasis of Serenity' and invites visitors to contribute live drawings to evolving pieces, dissolving the boundary between artist and audience. Founded in 2018 by Shaquille Brown, UPRISING celebrates Black history, culture, and identity through visual and performing arts.
The exhibition matters because it challenges narrow definitions of artistic skill and technical perfection, especially in 2D media, and prioritizes expression, vulnerability, and community over individual authorship. By making art participatory and free, it broadens access to creative expression and affirms that art belongs to everyone, not just trained professionals. This model of student-led, identity-focused curation also highlights the importance of inclusive spaces in higher education art programming.