Opening Reception: We the People

“We the People” are the opening words of the United States Constitution's Preamble, which outlines the Constitution's goals and justification. The phrase affirms that the US government serves its citizens, and that the people are the ultimate source of the government's power. The Preamble's 52 words describe the ideal of what the government can be and do. The Preamble's goals include:

Forming a more perfect union | Establishing justice | Ensuring domestic tranquility | Providing for common defense | Promoting general welfare | Securing liberty for present and future generations.

Studio Montclair invited artists to submit work that illustrates our fellow citizens in the process of living their lives and participating in the 250-year-old experiment in democracy that is the United States of America. Artists were encouraged to think out of the box when choosing what aspect of the above goals they depicted.