Book Discussion Will Feature Sheryl Oring and the "I Wish to Say" Project

Sheryl Oring, Associate Professor of Art in the College of Visual and Performing Arts at UNCG, will lead the discussion of her book, Activating Democracy: The "I Wish to Say" Project on September 25, 6 p.m., in the Hodges Reading Room of Jackson Library. The event is free and open to the public. It is sponsored by the Friends of the UNCG Libraries. 

Oring's I Wish to Say Project was a recipient of University Libraries' 2016-2017 Digital Partners Grant, an initiative that supports a collaborative approach to the creation and sharing of digital content of enduring value to UNCG  and the global scholarly community. The Digital Projects unit, part of the Electronic Resources and Information Technologies (ERIT) Department, worked closely with Oring to create a searchable web-based archive of her on-going public art project consisting of dictated postcards to the U.S. President and included more than 2,000 postcards and supplemental photographs created during performances held in dozens of states over several years. 

Motivated by her belief in the value of free expression that is guaranteed under the Constitution of the United States, Oring's I Wish to Say Project has been helping citizens voice their concerns about the state of affairs in the U.S. for more than a decade now. 


Oring examines critical social issues through projects that incorporate old and new media 
to tell stories, examine public opinion and foster open exchange. 

Using tools typically employed by journalists (the camera, the typewriter, the pen, the interview and the archive) she builds on experience in her former profession to create installations, performances, artist books and internet-based works. 

Oring holds a B.S. in Journalism from the University of Colorado, Boulder and a M.F.A. in Visual Art from the University of California, San Diego.