Liv Martin speaks with Evanston, Illinois-based artist Ben Blount about his installation of 148 black-and-white prints at MCBA, each one displaying a different truth about how white supremacy operates in the world. With their straightforward language, these prints are rooted in the tradition of protest movements and printmaking. MCBA’s Director of Exhibitions & Artist Programs, Torey Erin, relays the positive reactions of onlookers.

Artist and letterpress printer Ben Blount describes the brainstorming process and intention behind his powerful print installation, Eyes Wide Shut. Read about why the use of the phrase “white supremacy” has increased in recent years, why Ben prefers its directness to “racism,” and how MCBA wants to increase accountability in the wake of George Floyd’s killing in Minneapolis and the white supremacist mob that attacked the Capitol.

Coincidentally installed just five days after the white supremacist insurrection at the Capitol, Ben Blount’s print show, Eyes Wide Shut, is timelier than ever. Read about an earlier version of Ben’s exhibition mounted in his current hometown of Evanston, Illinois, and how plans for the current installation in MCBA’s street-facing windows expanded over time.