STOWE, VT.- The Current, a center for contemporary art with a mission to inspire civic engagement and broaden our understanding of the world through contemporary art, presents It often rhymes.Featuring work by contemporary artists Robert Buck, Janie Cohen, Nicholas Galanin, Ellen Rothenberg, Dona Ann McAdams, Hank Willis Thomas, and For Freedoms (Hank Willis Thomas and Emily Shur in collaboration with Eric Gottesman and Wyatt Gallery of For Freedoms), this exhibition explores the powerful intersections of art, democracy, and national identity. It often rhymes is on view through October 18, 2025.


It often rhymes (installation view 1) © Matt Neckers.

Inspired by the quote often attributed to Mark Twain, “History doesn’t repeat itself, but it does often rhyme,” this exhibition invites viewers to reflect on how the past continues to echo through our present. Through their work, the artists challenge and reclaim national symbols such as the American flag and the national anthem. What do these icons mean today? Whose stories do they tell? Whose voices are still missing?

“Art and democracy thrive on participation,” says The Current Executive Director and Director of Exhibitions, Rachel Moore. “It often rhymes invites us to engage - with art, with one another, and with stories rooted in truth, empathy, and our shared future.”


It often rhymes (installation view 2) © Matt Neckers.

Art has always played a crucial role in the story of democracy, as a voice of the people, a tool of resistance and pursuit, and a mirror reflecting both hope and hardship. Through photography, installation, and mixed media, the featured artists in It often rhymes expose the unfinished work of democracy, exploring themes of equity, power, history, and protest. In doing so, they remind us that equity is not yet fully realized and that the march toward freedom for all requires persistent care and engagement.


It often rhymes (installation view 3) Courtesy of The Current.

Featured Artists:

● Robert Buck: American multidisciplinary artist based in Marfa and NYC working with themes of subjectivity, violence, and sexual identity through film, sculpture, painting, and mixed media.

● Janie Cohen: American artist based in Vermont. She is known for her collage work exploring myth, memory, and meaning.

● Nicholas Galanin (Tlingit/Unangax̂): A Sitka Tribe of Alaska multi-disciplinary artist and musician of Tlingit and Unangax̂ descent. His work often explores a dialogue of change and identity between Native and non-Native communities.

● Ellen Rothenberg: American visual artist and writer based in Chicago, whose socio political art manifests itself in performance, installation, objects, and visual essays

● Dona Ann McAdams: American photographer in Vermont known for her images of performance art, street activism, farm animals, and members of underrecognized communities.

● Hank Willis Thomas: American conceptual artist and co-founder of For Freedoms. Based in Brooklyn, New York, he works primarily with themes related to identity, history, and popular culture.

● For Freedoms (Hank Willis Thomas and Emily Shur in collaboration with Eric Gottesman and Wyatt Gallery of For Freedoms): An artist-run platform for civic engagement, discourse, and direct action for artists in the United States, co-founded by Hank Willis Thomas, Eric Gottesman, Michelle Woo, and Wyatt Gallery.


Robert Buck - through the night that, © Robert Buck 2012.

To extend the conversation, The Current will present a series of free public programs with guest speakers, poets, and historians who trace the intertwined histories of democracy, art, and activism.

For details and full programming, visit: https://www.thecurrentnow.org/items/it-often-rhymes