On Feb. 28, the Cultural Arts Building held a reception for the opening of their newest art exhibit, “Reflections on Colorism: Art as the Alternative Mirror.” The exhibit is curated by Dr. Sarah L. Webb, creator of “Colorism Healing,” and professor of creative writing at the University of Illinois Springfield.

The exhibit historically analyzes the dichotomy of bias against skin tone, hair texture and other racialized notions. Each piece tells a personal narrative of what it means to be a person of color in the 21st century and how these experiences shape the way people think of others. “Reflections on Colorism: Art as the Alternative Mirror” reveals to its audience how traditional and mainstream attitudes about color and complexion still affect us to this day.

Different modes and mediums of art were showcased, from watercolor to acrylic to charcoal and much more. Traditional paintings and portraits were exhibited, but interactive pieces were also shown.

Other artists went beyond the norm of painting on canvas. Instead, their work was painted on brown paper bags and boxes. One example of using unconventional mediums is a piece by Ashley Jones, an artist and educator from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Her piece, “Stop Putting Me in a Box,” references how society tries to force people to conform to set standards, more specifically African-Americans being forced to adhere to European beauty standards. Her piece is one of many examples of artistic interpretation that carries cultural and racial tropes all people of color can resonate with.

“Reflections on Colorism: Art as the Alternative Mirror” truly lives up to its name as it not only reflects but dissects what the lives of African-Americans are like in this day and age.

“Reflections on Colorism: Art as the Alternative Mirror” will be open to the public, free of charge, from Feb. 28 to April 5 at the Cultural Arts Building Art Gallery.