Look at Me!
Recognition and Representation
in a New Pantheon of Superheroes

 
Amanda D. King

Amanda D. King

“To see the full spectrum of marginalized individual identities represented in images, is to free us all from our nation’s history of inhumanity and to usher us into a more just and equitable future.”

– Artist Activist Amanda D. King

View Amanda’s Essay:

Download Amanda’s Essay

 
 

This touring exhibit of superheroes created by Black, Latinx, Arab American, Native American and Asian American youth inspires and uplifts us. Amanda D. King’s moving essay connects the collection to principles of representational justice, reminding us that too often young people of color are missing from art and culture. When individuals are doubly marginalized by race and by illness or disabilities, seeing themselves reflected in joyful and powerful ways is even more critically important.

We are excited to share these special posters with the community – in person and online!  We invite you to explore the extraordinary collection below. Enjoy the wide range of character design by artists from around the world. Click on the images to read origin stories inspired by our superheroes’ ideas. Imagine your own superhero alter ego – how will you make the world a better place?

 

Traveling Exhibit Schedule

Boys Hope Girls Hope (Garfield Heights) - May 2023

IRTF/Young Latino Network’s Liberation Lab (Cleveland) - April 2023

FAN EXPO Cleveland - March 2023

North Olmsted Middle School (North Olmsted) - January 2023

Uumbaji Art Gallery at Kent State University (Kent, Ohio) - November 2022

Friendly Inn (Cleveland’s Central Neighborhood) - September-October 2022

North Canton YMCA (Canton, Ohio) - July 2022

Cleveland Public Theater’s Station Hope (Cleveland) - May 2022

Cuyahoga County Division of Child & Family Services, Jane Edna Hunter Building (Cleveland) - May 2022

Martin Luther King, Jr. Public Library (Cleveland) - February 2022

Chestnut Intermediate School (North Olmsted) - January 2022

Cleveland Public Theater - Station Hope (virtual exhibit) - June 2020

Waterloo Arts (Cleveland’s Collinwood Neighborhood) - February-March 2020

The Art Palace (Cleveland’s Glenville Neighborhood) - December 2019

The exhibit is available for display at your venue; contact us for information about bringing it to you!

 

Written & Narrated by Amanda D. King. Produced & Directed by Robert Walland.

Click a superhero to see their story!

 

A Note About the Exhibit

To preserve confidentiality, the title card for each poster indicates the child’s first initial and age only. “Created by” means that the interview questions were answered by the child. “Inspired by” means that the child is either non-verbal or too young to answer questions; in those cases, parents, grandparents or siblings answered the interview questions for our superheroes.

 

The Superhero Project gratefully acknowledges the generous supporters of Look at Me!

Anonymous

Cleveland Public Theatre

Common Ground

Alisa Feingold

Elizabeth Nici

Josh Thompson

Robert Walland

Ann and Darrell Holland