Beneath Our Skin, a new multimedia storytelling and art exhibit produced by Clemmons Family Farm and on display in Rowell Building from April 17 through May 14, displays the artistic reflections of Black Vermonters about their experiences during the early roll-out of the COVID-19 vaccine. The artistic reflections convey a spectrum of emotions experienced by Black Vermonters during the height of the global pandemic, ranging from fear and a deep-rooted mistrust in the medical system, to hope, joy and pride in Vermont’s early leadership in combating the spread of the virus. The exhibit also includes the stories and creative reflections from three white healthcare providers who administered the vaccine to Black Vermonters.

A team of artists and public health professionals collected participants’ stories from October 2021 to December 2022, a period that included strict social distancing and masking regulations in Vermont. Yanna Marie Orcel, Clemmons Family Farm’s wellness arts adviser, curated the exhibit.

Yanna Marie Orcel
“This exhibit feels very personal, since it shares the fears, concerns, and hopes associated with the COVID-19 vaccine roll-out for Black people—many of whom carry the intergenerational trauma of exploitation and neglect in United States medical and public health arenas,” said curator Yanna Marie Orcel. “This perspective is often not brought to light outside of the Black community, which makes this exhibit an urgent representation of a historically underrepresented population.” Photo by Erin Casey.

Some of the original artwork featured in the exhibit showcases members of the Vermont African-American/African Diaspora Artists Network (VAAADAN), including poems by Djeli (formerly known as William Forchion), Rage Hezekiah, and Yanna Marie Orcel; songs by Samirah Evans and Khonsu X; and visual artwork by Celine Davis, Travon Groves, Harlan Mack, and William Mwanga.

The Clemmons Family Farm Beneath Our Skin: COVID-19 Vaccine Storytelling and Art Exhibit was made possible, in part, through major funding from the Vermont Department of Health. The exhibit is on display on the first floor of Rowell Building from April 17 through May 14, 2024.

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