Salons at Stowe is a monthly community conversation series that invites participants to engage in open, facilitated dialogue on today’s most pressing social questions.
The opening installment of Salons at Stowe is inspired by the themes of Amanda Mendoza’s exhibition, “What does it mean to be Human?”, currently on view at the Stowe Visitor Center. For our first gathering, we turn to two foundational questions:
“What does it mean to be human?”
“And what happens when you’re not seen as human enough?”
Together, these questions invite participants to explore belonging, dignity, and the deep impact of who is—and is not—recognized fully within our communities and systems. This conversation invites curiosity, vulnerability, and shared reflection as we consider how humanity is affirmed, diminished, and reclaimed.
About the Facilitators
This month’s discussion is guided by two leaders whose creative and facilitation practices make them uniquely suited to explore these questions.
Derek Hall, Facilitator
Amanda Mendoza, Artist
Amanda Mendoza
Artist, muralist, and curator Amanda Mendoza is dedicated to creating work that fosters advocacy, resilience, and community healing. Her artistic philosophy centers on the power of art not merely to decorate, but to transform—to help communities see themselves, connect across difference, and imagine new possibilities. As the Stowe Center for Literary Activism’s Artist of Color Accelerate, Mendoza brings both artistic insight and lived experience to the conversation her exhibition inspires.
Derek Hall
Derek Hall (he/him/his) is an anti-racist intergroup dialogue facilitator, public speaker, and activist committed to challenging systemic racism and reshaping the cultures that sustain it. With over a decade of experience partnering with schools, nonprofits, and national organizations, Hall is known for his dynamic approach to dialogue, blending storytelling, accountability, and community-building. As a Racial Equity Consultant & Coach, he believes that “changed people, change systems,” guiding participants toward deeper understanding and more just ways of being together.
