The exhibition features work from 20 regional artists across a variety of mediums: photography, printmaking, painting, glasswork, sculpture, collage, installation art, neon, mixed media, and more.
from the series This is What Democracy Looks Likearchival inkjet print
© Kevin Miyazaki
Clampdown: Labor, Management and the Recession
exhibition opening Saturday 30 April
6-10pm
Zaller Gallery
16006 Waterloo Road, Cleveland
66th and Euclidpainted and silkscreened glass
© Scott Goss
Kristen Baumlier
Joseph Carl Close
Andy Curlowe
John G.
Scott Goss
Jacob Wesley Lang
Robin Latkovich
Ross Mantle
Liz Maugans
Amber McElreath
Alex Meranto
Kevin Miyazaki
Michelle Marie Murphy
Claudio Orso
Joshua Rex
Dante Rodriguez
Ben Siegel
Randall Tiedman
Elizabeth Ross Yurich
Get Laid Offneon
© Liz Maugans
Since the Recession began in December 2007, the American economy has lost nearly 8 million jobs. The unemployment rate, which stood at 5% at the end of 2007, is now inching at double-digits, and many of the unemployed have been without a job for at least six months.
For those workers who kept their jobs, the picture is also bleak: many have had to accept wage freezes and furloughs, and yet are being demanded to increase productivity even as their co-workers are laid off and departments and resources shrunk. Many rank-and-file endure all of this out of fear for losing their own jobs, and express gratitude to even be employed at all. How does this affect the way in which we assess the value of our work?
The newest stormy cloud for workers is the recent controversial legislation in Ohio, Wisconsin, and elsewhere, that would effectively eliminate a wide range of workers' rights, including the right for collective bargaining. And while that fight is currently focused on public sector unionized employees, its wider implications for all workers -- public or private sector, union or non-union -- seem inevitable.
Meanwhile, corporate profits continue to skyrocket, and during the Recession have grown particularly fast during the last seven quarters consecutively: the Commerce Department reported that in the 3rd quarter of 2010, American businesses earned profits at an annual rate of $1.659 trillion -- the highest amount ever recorded in the 60 years since the department began keeping track.
As rank-and-file wages have stagnated, executive pay has more than doubled -- perpetuating a steep trajectory of salary inequalities that began 30 years ago.
Historically, during times of financial growth and productivity that led to an increase in company profits, that rise was generally accompanied by an increase in labor wages as well, and thus everyone would be able to share a fair slice of the pie.
However, this formula began to deteriorate in the early 1980s, and has accelerated to a point now where in the last 10 years, the wealthiest 10% of Americans have accounted for nearly 100% of all annual income growth in the U.S.
Dream Jobarchival pigment print
© Ben Siegel
Again, opening night kicks off this Saturday, April 30th, 6-10pm, at the Zaller Gallery in Collinwood (right down the street from the Beachland Ballroom). After that, the gallery is open from noon-3pm on Saturdays and Sundays on the next three consecutive weekends, concluding with a closing nite reception on Saturday 21 May from 6-9pm.If you're in the area I hope you'll try to come down and check out the exhibition.
