Caron Tabb: Humanity Is Not A Spectator Sport
November 5, 2021 - January 17, 2022
Humanity Is Not A Spectator Sport features the support of JArts. Learn more about JArts here
The racial vitriol towards President Obama, the election of Donald Trump, the racial murders of Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, and Ahmaud Arbery and others, and the endemic issues surfaced by the Covid outbreak caused a profound reckoning for many, including Caron Tabb and her artwork. Tabb found herself spending significant time engaging in difficult conversations where she questioned her role, responsibilities, and culpability as a white woman. The people with whom she had these conversations inspired and pushed her to the point of profound awakening and introspection.
A difficult conversation, or as Harvard’s Robert Livingston calls it, The Conversation, can happen when one looks beyond norms and obvious answers to seriously explore and choose a new path. By challenging fundamental assumptions these difficult conversations are courageous because of the inherent discomfort they bring. They often force introspection as one must reconsider both oneself and others. If one is willing, these conversations can alter fundamental beliefs and understandings and lead to a new perspective, and sense of accountability, or commitment.
Humanity Is Not a Spectator Sport, Tabb's second exhibition at Beacon Gallery, stems from such introspection and offers a personal portrait as well as a communal call to action. The conceptual mixed media work in this show draws heavily from Tabb’s deep Jewish identity while demonstrating we can encourage change in others through our own resilience and intentions.
In Humanity is Not a Spectator Sport, Tabb unflinchingly invites the viewer to both experience her own struggles with race, racism, and white privilege while also providing tools for others to take a similar look into their own lives.
While never seeking to preach, Tabb instead extends an invitation to engage. She allows the viewer glimpses of the innate goodness we all have inside of ourselves through portraits of courageous women and her own introspection. She endeavors to reveal our common bonds while breaking down the artificial barriers we create so easily.
Featuring all original never-before-seen works, Tabb aims to shed light on white privilege, systemic racism, and inequality, as well as our shared humanity. Even more important than the awareness she hopes to bring, Tabb seeks to challenge viewers and inspire difficult conversations. In addition, examples of successful community-building leadership from her Be The Change series demonstrate that while words and visuals can bring awareness to an issue, true progress requires action.
Be The Change
Beyond her conceptual art installations, Humanity Is Not A Spectator Sport is words and concepts made manifest. This exhibition is the first iteration of Tabb’s multi-city Be the Change: a public art and activism initiative taking its fledgling steps in Boston, and presented by the Jewish Arts Collaborative.
Inspired by the Jewish tenet of justice, and drawing its form from the ritualistic Jewish tzedakah box (traditionally used to keep loose change for charitable donations), Be The Change aims to inspire action through the honoring of Women of Valor who have embodied the elements of justice and social engagement in their own life.
Be the Change was originally inspired by a conversation between Boston-based artist Caron Tabb and Ruth Messinger, a NYC political activist and former President and CEO of the American Jewish World Service, a Jewish international development agency working to fight poverty and pursue justice around the world. Messinger was the person to whom the first Tzedakah Box made for Tabb’s solo show Humanity Is Not A Spectator Sport was dedicated. The second Tzedakah Box is dedicated to Tina Chéry Brown, founder of the Louis D. Brown Peace Institute.
In addition to featuring the artworks, there will be hybrid (virtual and in-person) Be The Change events at Beacon Gallery honoring the two Women of Valor. These two separate events (one for Messinger in early November, one for Chéry in January) will share the women’s stories and accomplishments.
In addition to the dedication of the tzedakah boxes, Tabb felt it important to lead by action rather than words. As part of her exhibition, Tabb will remove a symbolic piece of her artwork to make space for a featured series of artists and initiatives from November 15th onwards. Entitled What Now; Making Space and curated by artist and participant Meclina in dialogue with Caron Tabb, this 7-week exhibition-within-an-exhibition will feature a rotating series of artworks in the place of Tabb’s.
What Now; Making Space not only features works by a variety of artists but gives an opportunity for networking career growth. Through a weekly artist blog feature and online artist talk, each will be highlighted and given the opportunity to more fully explain and engage with the Boston area community. They will also be able to engage with each other through an artist-only event formulated to offer a space for authentic and transparent conversations regarding the challenges of the art world.
Each of these artists has a unique vision of the world and a message they present through their artwork. Make sure to enjoy the works of each artist below either in person or via Beacon Gallery’s blog, and don’t miss a chance to meet each artist.
The list of artists (each artist will be featured for one week):
Ibrahim Ali-Salaam
Rob 'ProBlak' Gibbs
Quincy Harding
Nayana LaFond
Meclina
Kamil Peters
Janet Tan
About Caron Tabb:
Caron was born in apartheid South Africa, raised on a farm in Israel from the age of eight and, has lived in the US for the last 20 years. After years working in the nonprofit world, she turned her focus to art. These key biographical elements and her passion for social justice issues deeply impact her artistic practice. In addition to traditional painting and photography, she incorporates found objects and unconventional materials into her work. Her conceptual mixed-media and installation pieces address issues of social inequality, racial justice and, feminism as seen through the lens of her deep Jewish identity. When questioning her role as a Jewish, white woman, and a human being today, her goal it is to raise the level of discourse, increase empathy and engage people in difficult conversations about a just and equal society. Her art serves as a voice and a vehicle for conversations about what it means to be an American in this day and age.
Caron holds a B.A in Education and a M.A. in Nonprofit Management, both from Hebrew University in Jerusalem. She is married to Dr. Kevin Tabb the CEO of Beth Israel Lahey Health Boston. They have two children, Shai (26) and Noam (22).