Speaking Volumes: Transforming Hate

FAQ

How did this exhibition come to be?

The story behind Speaking Volumes: Transforming Hate begins with The Creativity Movement, formerly known as the World Church of the Creator, founded in 1973. It was one of the most virulent and violent of white supremacist groups and upheld Adolph Hitler as a religious prophet. One of its most notorious national leaders, Matt Hale, is currently serving a 40-year sentence for soliciting the murder of a federal judge. One of its “reverends” went on a 1999 shooting spree in Illinois, targeting people of color and Jews. In the early 1990s, The Creativity Movement established a presence in Montana. In 1990, the Montana Human Rights Network formed to monitor and counteract these and other expressions of bigotry and hate.

In 2003, a defector from the Montana faction of The Creativity Movement offered to sell to the Network over 4,000 World Church of the Creator books and materials. The Network purchased the books for a small sum, taking them out of circulation and depriving the group of a significant source of ideological continuity and sales income. The books had served to keep the group afloat during internal leadership conflicts following the suicide of The Creativity Movement’s founder, Ben Klassen. The stockpile of books included thirteen titles by Ben Klassen, who promoted violence and extreme forms of racist, antisemitic, anti-Christian, and homophobic beliefs.

The Network sought a positive use for the books and asked Katie Knight to turn this concept into an exhibition. She pitched the Network’s proposal to her colleagues at the Holter Museum of Art where she served for eight years as Curator of Education. They accepted the challenge, and invited other organizations to participate, making the project a community collaboration. They contacted prominent artists renowned for their work involving social justice. They also sent out a national invitation to artists to respond to, integrate, or transform the books. They designed educational programs for visitors of all ages, facilitated dialog in the galleries, and led hands-on art activities to empower people, especially youth, to contribute their artistic expressions.

This exhibition demonstrates the artists’ diverse strategies to transform hate: They tell personal stories, inspire compassion, rewrite the words to transform their meaning, turn ugliness into beauty, find irony and humor in human foibles, celebrate unity, and reflect on how we transmit values to our children.

Speaking Volumes: Transforming Hate first opened in 2008 at the Holter Museum of Art in Helena, Montana. It traveled to eleven museums across the state, then to national venues from coast to coast, catalyzing vital dialog about social justice and providing human rights education. As our nation addresses the meaning of our democratic ideals and the challenges of truly achieving “liberty and justice for all,” the content of this art is more relevant than ever. Rarely has an art exhibition inspired so much positive discussion about how to move our society toward greater equity and justice. Visitors who saw the exhibition in 2008 still speak of its emotional impact on them.

Why Boise?

Speaking Volumes: Transforming Hate returns to Idaho as a reminder of the evergreen importance of recognizing, reflecting, and acting upon hatred in our country. Throughout Idaho’s history, racially motivated hate has been met with creative courage and community strength. In a time when hate continues to shape national and local discourse, this collaboration between the SVAA, the Wassmuth Center, the Erma Hayman House, and Albertsons Library underscores a shared commitment to justice, education, and community resilience. This partnership aims to inspire dialogue on hatred in Idaho and beyond, both today and in the past. 

Where and when is the exhibition?

This exhibition will be open from May 29th through August 8th. Various pieces will be at the Wassmuth Center, the Erma Hayman House and Albertsons Library at Boise State University. Each location will have a number of pieces for the public to view. For questions, please visit the Speaking Volumes Exhibition page on Wassmuth Center’s website for details on operating hours and events. 

Is there an opening event?

Celebrate the opening of Speaking Volumes: Transforming Hate with an evening of creativity and connection. Explore the work on display at the Erma Hayman house, listen to remarks from our community partners, and enjoy live music by Judy Fjell.

Thursday, May 29th from 4:00pm – 7:00pm at the Erma Hayman House in Downtown Boise. Light refreshments and no-host bar will also be available. 

Is there any cost to attending? 

Admission at each location is free. For more information, please visit the ‘Plan your Visit’ section of the Speaking Volumes Exhibition page on Wassmuth Center’s website for details on operating hours and events. 

Will there be any special programming?

Each venue has prepared programming in honor of this visiting exhibition. For more information, please visit the ‘Upcoming Events’ section of the Speaking Volumes Exhibition page on Wassmuth Center’s website for details.

Who is Katie Knight?

Katie Knight’s innovative, emotionally compelling art takes many forms: photography, printmaking, sculpture and writing. She believes that pairing socially relevant content with beautiful compositions contributes to a dynamic, evolving culture. She creates art in her studio in Helena, Montana, and has been exhibiting her work since 1980. While serving as Curator of Education at the Holter Museum of Art, Knight spent 3 years curating Speaking Volumes: Transforming Hate. Since then, she has managed the exhibition tour and provided educational programs at host venues. Knight earned an MFA in 1999 at the University of Minnesota, where she received the prestigious national Jacob Javits Fellowship to support her visual arts practice and the use of art within the context of human rights education. 

For questions directly for the curator, Katie Knight, please contact curator@speakingvolumes.net.

Who are the artists?

For more in-depth information about each artist, please visit the exhibition’s primary website here: https://www.speakingvolumes.net/artists/

How can I stay updated on the exhibition and future events?

Sign up here for the Wassmuth Center’s Dignity Dispatch newsletter for more information about this upcoming exhibit as well as future events. 

What is the recommended age for the exhibition?

This exhibition includes content that may not be suitable for all audiences.