The Art of Silence: a Sculpture + ASL Collaboration

Sculpture of five hands cast in white plaster, spelling out the letters "SHHHH" in American Sign Language.
SHHHH, 2025. Plaster, steel armature

February 24–March 27, 2026

Reception: Tuesday, March 24, 4:00–6:00PM, Fenwick Gallery

“The Art of Silence” is a collaborative project led by School of Art professor John von Bergen and American Sign Language (ASL) professor Roxanne Dummett. Over the last academic year, visual art and design students joined forces with ASL students in a series of workshops in which they developed collaborative ideas and expressions through plaster casts of hands that “speak” ASL. Students took on the challenge to merge two visual languages while finding static conditions, resulting in this unique mixed-media installation.

Thank you to all the George Mason students who contributed from EDSE 219 002: American Sign Language (ASL) III, AVT-262-001: Sculpture I, and AVT-202-002: Sophomore Core. Special thanks to Mason Exhibitions, Fenwick Gallery, and Ayman Rashid for their support on this project.

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