Because a Just World is a Beautiful World Scenes from the photovoice exhibit and Dignity of Work Mural Celebration

On January 29, 2025, the Institute hosted a celebration for the photovoice exhibit and Dignity of Work mural at Geddes Hall.

The project began with Building Services crew leader Bridget Filipski, who wondered whether there might be a way to celebrate her fellow Building Services employees through visual art. “Everybody wants to be seen,” Filipski reflected. “No matter what job you do, we all want to be seen.”

Students and staff described their experiences in the Art and Social Change course. “As they shared pictures that captured their Bosnian roots, I discovered the realities of the Balkan Wars and how familial love has no geographic borders,” junior Laura Arenth said.

Artist David Martin proposed the idea of using silhouettes of University buildings with staff portraits inside. “It’s a representation of the idea that the buildings can’t exist without the staff and the actions they take holding them up,” Martin explained.

“Gracious and loving God,” prayed Rev. Hugh Page, “you make clear to us in sacred scripture the dignity of labor and the value of laborers."

"Grant that this mural—making visible the experiences of our friends and colleagues in building services—may be a reminder to all in our community of those whose work on the front lines and behind the scenes, visible and hidden, during our waking hours and at night, in weather both seasonable and inclement, is essential to our common life and connects us as members of the Notre Dame family.”

Staff and students engaged in photovoice, a participatory research methodology, and the exhibit features stories of Building Services staff as told by the staff members themselves.

Credits:

All photos courtesy Peter Ringenberg Photography