Katherine E. Nash Gallery

On View Now

David Feinberg
Divide Up Those in Darkness from the Ones Who Walk in Light
September 14 – December 11, 2021

David Feinberg, Divide Up Those in Darkness from the Ones Who Walk in Light, 1989, Acrylic on canvas, 69 x 50 in.

The Katherine E. Nash Gallery at the University of Minnesota presents Divide Up Those in Darkness from the Ones Who Walk in Light, an exhibition celebrating the 50-year artistic and teaching career of Associate Professor David Feinberg in the Department of Art at the University of Minnesota. The exhibition is comprised of two retrospective collections of work: David Feinberg’s own artworks from 1968 to present and works from the Voice to Vision (V2V) human rights project which began in 2002.

In 1987 Feinberg became interested in history more widely, particularly World War II, and tragedies such as the Buddy Holly plane crash, Amelia Earhart’s disappearance, the wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald, and the Hinckley fire. His investigations of World War II led to a particular interest in the Holocaust, which is part of his own cultural history. Feinberg was conducting research with published materials when he discovered that he really wanted to hear testimony directly from living people. Feinberg spoke with Professor Stephen C. Feinstein, the founding Director of the Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies at the University of Minnesota, about his interest in working with Holocaust survivors and the Voice to Vision project was created in 2002. After several years of working on projects involving the Holocaust, Feinberg wanted to use the tools he learned in Voice to Vision to investigate the tragedies of other cultures. Eventually, he worked with people from Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America, and North America and his personal work merged with his work on Voice to Vision.

Voice to Vision captures the extraordinary experiences of people from different parts of the world who have encountered human atrocities. Their stories are first shared through dialogue, and then transformed into works of visual art. The art pieces are created through a collaboration involving a team of artists, students, witnesses, storytellers, and activists. As the storytellers share their experiences, members of the team exchange ideas and make creative decisions together to produce a work of art that profoundly affects audiences. The collaboration process is video documented so that various communities and future generations can experience it. The documentaries feature original scores composed by musicians adding another artistic dimension to the project. It is hoped that audiences will find ways to connect their own life experiences to the stories represented in the art. The project seeks to educate the public and stimulate discussion about difficult topics. The V2V team also hopes to inspire others to use the visual arts to investigate their own personal histories. Founder Professor David Feinberg and Director Beth Andrews lead this project in collaboration with the Department of Art and the Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies at the University of Minnesota. Other participants include professors from the Department of Spanish and Portuguese Studies, and the Department of Music as well as members of the surrounding Twin Cities communities. 

David Feinberg is an Associate Professor of Art at the University of Minnesota and director of the Voice to Vision project. He earned an MFA degree from Cranbrook Academy of Art, Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. He also has undergraduate degrees in Graphic Design from Parsons School of Design (The New School) and a degree in Art Education from the State University of New York (SUNY) at New Paltz. In 1967 he was the traveling art teacher for grades K-12 for the upstate county of Ulster, New York. He was also an Assistant Professor of Art at William Rainey Harper College from 1969 to 1971. He came to the University of Minnesota in September of 1971. In 2002, he created the Voice to Vision project. Since that time, he has made multiple works of art and documentaries with people who have experienced or witnessed human atrocities all over the world. Feinberg’s art and Voice to Vision have been exhibited locally, nationally, and internationally at colleges, universities, art and community centers.