North Carolina student wins Embracing Our Differences’ People's Choice Award

Alexis Thompson, a student at North Carolina Agricultural & Technical State University, is the winner of this year’s People's Choice Award at Embracing Our Differences' 19th annual outdoor juried art exhibit celebrating diversity.

Thompson, who is studying graphic design, received $1,000 for her work entitled, “Threat?” The work depicts a young Black man holding an infant on his lap with the words, “At What Age Do I Become a Threat?”

Thompson says she was motivated to create the piece after Breonna Taylor was killed by police during the execution of a no-knock warrant in 2020. “My goal is to make others feel included and that they have a legacy to leave behind. How can we make this a better world to live in?”

The People’s Choice Award was determined by a survey that was available to the 371,256 visitors who attended the exhibit on Jan. 15 through April 10.

"‘Threat?’ is such a powerful and empowering work of art,” said Sarah Wertheimer, executive director of Embracing Our Differences. “The struggle for racial justice has exposed serious fault lines in our society and this work boldly addresses that. It’s also a plea, a call for justice, and it fits EOD’s values perfectly: Let’s continue to work together to eliminate the barriers of prejudice.”

Wertheimer also said, “We had 371,256 people visit the Bayfront Park exhibit this year. That’s 117,000 more people than last year.”

For 19 years, Embracing Our Differences has drawn on the passion and perception of artists, students, writers and others to create statements of diversity and acceptance in its annual outdoor exhibition consisting of 50 billboard-sized works of art and quotes. The exhibit has attracted more than 4 million visitors since its inception and is the heart of a year-round program of activities designed to use art as a catalyst to create awareness and promote diversity.

Next year’s Bayfront Park exhibit is scheduled on Jan. 18 to March 13. The exhibit will also be displayed at Butler Park in North Port on March 22 to April 19 and at State College of Florida Manatee-Sarasota on April 26 to May 29. For more information, call 941-404-5710 or visit embracingourdifferences.org.

Submitted by Su Byron

This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: North Carolina student wins EOD's 19th annual People's Choice Award