Lobotomy is a series of portraits from artist Lino Azevedo that highlight what he sees as the social and political apathy of American society. The exhibition is on display at the MonDak Heritage Center from May 7 to June 1.
In Lino’s words: “Recently, I subscribed to cable television for the first time in my life. After only a couple of months of watching cable news and reality TV shows, I am mortified at our culture’s lack of engagement on substantive matters. In the information age, it deeply saddens me that we do not dive deep into real political and social issues that are facing our society. We have access to all the great libraries in the world and yet, our airways are filled with shows that add little value to our betterment. This baffles me.
With a noticeable lack of critical thinking and civil discourse, I am compelled to hold a mirror up to our society to show how we have lobotomized ourselves. Turn off the television. Put the smart phone down. Engage. Think. And, by all means, revisit real conversations with fellow citizens. Connect.”
Lino Azevedo was born in the 1970’s to Portuguese immigrants near the city of San Francisco, California. Like most small children, Lino enjoyed creating from the soul with simple tools like pencil and crayon. Being a painter herself, his mother saw the potential and let him try his hand with her oils and brushes. After receiving an art award in high school, a counselor suggested San Jose State University for its strong art and design program. Lino graduated in 1997 with his bachelors and began teaching drawing and painting to both children and adults. With a growing passion for guiding other artists on their journeys, he decided to pursue his MFA in order to teach and in 2013, he completed a program at Winthrop University. Lino has taught at colleges and universities in North Carolina, California, and currently teaches at Williston State College in North Dakota. His work can be found in galleries throughout the United States.
The MonDak Heritage Center is open Tuesday-Friday from 10-4 and Saturday from 1-4. For more information call (406) 433-3500 or visit mondakheritagecenter.org.