Artists Address Racial Inequality in "Operation Varsity Blues" Exhibition
Referencing the largest college cheating scam in history.
Allouche Gallery is currently hosting a momentous group exhibition entitled “Operation Varsity Blues.” Curated by Charles Moore, the presentation features a diverse range of artworks such as painting and installation that address racial inequality nationwide. The title of the show references the Netflix documentary of the same name that investigated the largest college cheating scam in history which took place back in 2019. The film examined the illegal enterprise led by Rick Singer who assisted celebrities and super wealthy families gain admission to elite colleges for their children through illegal methods, including bribing university athletics coaches and forging test scores.
The artworks created for the exhibition touches on the aforementioned scandal while also raising awareness on the systemic issues involving the American educational system, as well as the emerging artists’ experiences with institutionalized racism with some currently attending the same colleges involved in the scam. “Charles tapped all black artists and aimed to provide a concept that allowed each artist to experiment, explore, research and in some cases challenge themselves without limitation. Cleverly titled Operation Varsity Blues, from the Netflix documentary which explored 2019’s largest college cheating scam in history, each of the 13 commissioned artists’ work is a poignant response to the scam that redressed racial inequity,” described the gallery in a statement.
A total of 13 artists are currently showcasing works that address these timely issues. Participating artists include Lindsay Adams, Lindsey Brittain Collins, Debra Cartwright, Kevin Claiborne, Alteronce Gumby, Lanise Howard, Jeffrey Meris, Robert Moore, Rashaun Rucker, Malaika Temba, Khari Turner, Telvin Wallace and Esteban Whiteside.
View select works in the slideshow above and then head to Allouche Gallery’s website for more information. “Operation Varsity Blues” is on view through July 4.
In other notable news, a teen was awarded a Pulitzer Citation for filming George Floyd’s murder.
Allouche Gallery
82 Gansevoort St.
New York, NY 10014
