Kierstin Oliver
Major: Visual arts and African American Studies
Biography: Kierstin Oliver (She/They) is a junior born in Washington, D.C. Having visited and worked closely with multiple museums in her adolescent years, she developed a fervent interest in the arts. Kierstin would like to uncover new ways to use the arts to both preserve historical memory and propose creative solutions to issues of equity. After undergrad, Kierstin hopes to pursue a career in the intersection of arts, education, and advocacy.
Research Title: Exploring the Visual History of Redlining in Baltimore MD
Faculty Mentor: Casey Ruble, Department of Visual Arts
Abstract: Now more than ever, it is crucial to examine racism in American policies and assess its long-standing systemic impacts on urban areas. Where we live, and where we go to school are influenced by historically unequal frameworks which the country built upon instead of remedying. Making strides to restoring these communities involves identifying how they came to be. Exploring the Visual History of Redlining in Baltimore MD examines the history and legacy of redlining and other discriminatory housing policies in Baltimore, MD, where Kierstin’s mothers family is from. This visual history project uncover stories of forced displacement and its ties to rising crime rates, inadequate funding for public services, and suffering communities. The resulting artwork aims to articulate the fraught history in a way that visualizes its lingering effects.