When the Supreme Court struck down key sections of the Voting Rights Act, then law student Shana Knizhnik was outraged. But in the blistering dissenting opinion of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Khizhnik found hope and the possibility for a better day. And so, the Notorious R.B.G. was born—a cheeky, DGAF interpretation of the justice on Tumblr that would a few years later inspire a biography from Knizhnik and journalist Irin Carmon.
But beyond that crown-wearing caricature is the story of a woman with a tireless and tenacious approach to social change, as Skirball curator Cate Thurston puts it. Through letters, recordings, outfits and photo ops, the exhibition balances that irreverence with an easy-to-understand primer on Ginsburg’s ongoing legal career, as well as a very personal portrait of her life.
“The Notorious RBG” positions Ginsburg not as a feminist, but as a tireless advocate for the rule of law, fairness and equality who’s pressed against discrimination at every turn, in both her personal life and her law career. Hands-on installations encourage visitors to not just play dress-up, but to imagine themselves in her role: You’ll listen to Supreme Court recordings, step into a recreation of Ginsburg’s childhood Brooklyn bedroom and be able to throw on a robe and a collar to pose behind a facsimile of the Supreme Court bench.
The exhibition—which will later tour to Philadelphia, San Francisco and Skokie, Illinois, with two more locations to be announced—comes at a time when some of Ginsburg’s core values have come under political attack. But the show’s deep dive into Ginsburg’s steadfast support for equality is a reminder that a sound moral compass still has the potential to steer government in a positive direction.
