Transforming hate

By Stories and photos by Erin Nicholes - 10/11/2008

One artist created a paper sculpture celebrating human rights from the pages of a white-supremacist book.

ANACONDA — Standing near a shrine to Holocaust survivors, Carol Jette acknowledged the Copper Village Museum & Arts Center's current exhibit is a far cry from the quilts or paintings the venue often displays.

"This is totally different," said Jette, gallery director. "It's something other than just art. Every one of these pieces is thought-provoking." The exhibit, "Speaking Volumes: Transforming Hate" uses art to spread a message about discrimination and racism. Curated by the Holter Museum of Art in Helena, the exhibit will stay in Anaconda throughout October as part of a statewide tour.

"This is what my hope is: That people will come in and see this ... and how it's turned into art, and how it's transformed into such beautiful creations," Jette said in the gallery in the old city hall, 401 E. Commercial St.

Coincidentally, a Holocaust survivor will also visit Anaconda and other area communities in October (see related story below).

At the gallery, the exhibit intended to challenge racism is, ironically, crafted largely from white-supremacist propaganda.

Colorful paper cranes, the Holocaust survivor shrine and sculptures are among pieces crafted from the pages of three books written and distributed by the Church of the Creator, one of the largest and most active white-supremacist groups in America during the 1990s.

The books landed in the creative hands of artists after a defector of the group approached the Montana Human Rights Network in 2003 with an offer intended to remove the literature from the market. The network ended up buying 4,100 of the books — including "The White Man's Bible" — which were kept in a storage unit in ammunition cases.

The network distributed the books to more than 100 artists across the country, yielding colorful and intriguing pieces.

"The astonishing and moving result — in sculpture, video, painting, photography, collage, printmaking, book arts, beadwork, fiber and performance — is thought- provoking, insightful and turns dark to light," a release from the Holter Museum said.

In Anaconda, prominent pieces are on display, although the gallery did not have room for the entire exhibit, Jette said.

She said she is hoping local residents, visitors and students will visit the gallery for an eye-opening experience.

"Transforming hate is a wonderful thing, if maybe you're able to transform thought patterns," she said.

The gallery will host a grand opening for the exhibit on Oct. 14 from 9:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. And on Oct. 20, Travis McAdam of the Montana Human Rights network will speak at the gallery about how the organization acquired the books.

For more information, call the Copper Village Museum and Arts Center at 563-2422.

Erin Nicholes may be reached at erin.nicholes@lee.net.