At the Block Museum at Northwestern University, programming and partnerships related to the exhibition The Last Supper: 600 Plates Illustrating Final Meals of U.S. Death Row Inmates engaged the power dynamics inherent in the work’s central concern—capital punishment. Inviting conversation among people along that power spectrum—capital defense lawyers, youth advocates, death row exonerees—allowed for a nuanced examination of the exhibition’s web of social issues. The Last Supper shows the importance of partnership development— particularly through the inclusion of traditionally excluded voices—in tailoring programs addressing complex social issues where substantial power imbalances exist.
