Kala Gallery is excited to present the exhibition Dig and Rise featuring new works by 2022-2023 Kala Fellowship and Media Arts Fellowship artists: Lani Asunción, Meghana Bisineer, Paola de la Calle, Rayelle Janell Gardner, Sungjae Lee, Jessica Doe (née Mehta, Tyner), Nasim Moghadam, Khadijah Morley, Rosa Park, Sass Popoli (2021-2022 Fellow), and Trina Michelle Robinson.

Dig and Rise celebrates diverse voices and research, with a focus on resilience and hope that each artist in the exhibition carries and amplifies through their projects. While thinking about the work and title of the exhibition, many powerful poets and musicians came to my mind. Still I Rise by Maya Angelou, A Center by Ha Jin and music by Miles Davis are just a few examples of work that empowers audiences through creativity, message, passion and resilience. Art – poetry, music, writing, visual art, moving images, and in many other formats – can create significant ripple effects calling attention to important issues and inviting audiences to take action.

Artists in Dig and Rise search for their deep roots – looking for core values in relation to their family lineage and cultural backgrounds. The projects are connected in a variety of ways. Many of the works in the exhibition bring up the systemic discriminations buried in our society, and call for changes and solidarity. Others search for a sense of belonging and freedom, exploring their unique identities, family histories, foreignness, and intimate connection and/or isolation felt in their communities. They also investigate the role of rituals and memories in healing, human connection to the land and environment, and ancestral wisdom and stories that hold meanings in families and communities. Together their projects enforce one another to raise powerful questions and empower us through imagination, hope, resilience, and empathy.