the work on which our national welfare depends

In the Department of Art Project Space

Center For the Arts, Room 155

On View: 2/12-2/19/2026

The Work on Which Our National Welfare Depends examines the under-acknowledged intersection between U.S. Agricultural infrastructure and foreign policy by comparing media culture across a twenty-year stretch between centuries. U.S. Food Aid has historically had three primary intentions: to subsidize its farmers, to sustain U.S. troops, and to paint the U.S. as a savior-like nation. The act of giving in this case is not as selfless as it is portrayed to be — especially when considering the United States' repeated act of destabilizing smaller nations' agricultural systems.

Farming is an increasingly expensive industry. Seed companies' unregulated corporate greed alongside competition from abroad is making it difficult for smaller American farms to make a profit, if even a return on their investment. Farmer subsidies concerning U.S. Food Aid (originating during the Great Depression) have forced the industry to become dependent, just as the United States has made many recipients of aid dependent upon us as a nation for survival.

Donald Trump's presidential campaigns targeted farmers by promising to support them through this systemic "farming crisis." However, his immediate cuts to U.S. Food Aid not only lead to the demise of those who depend upon it for survival, but the demise of the small American farmer.

Furthermore, media culture produced and promoted by the United States government (both in the early 20th and 21st centuries) emphasizes the importance of the agricultural industry as an enabler of militaristic force. Since this food aid is being diverted from those in need (many of whom have likely been negatively affected by the United States' colonial presence in their country), it begs the question, where is the already-purchased food being sent to, if not incinerated? Is it being used to support United States troops abroad? Are its moldy remnants being broken apart and thrown into crowds of unjustly detained people (many of whom are Americans) in ICE detention centers across the country? What truths about the destruction of this flawed system are being hidden?

Please note that the usage of the term "America" refers to all North and South American countries, the Caribbean Islands, and their territories. Although United States farmer subsidies primarily apply to farmers within the United States, farmers across our borders are also negatively affected, as U.S. Food Aid has historically purchased food stuff from abroad as well.

Reese Betts is a first year MFA in Studio Art Candidate.

Betts received a Bachelor of Arts in Film Studies and a Bachelor of Arts in Digital Storytelling in 2024 at the University of Missouri.

Reese Betts is a new media artist, filmmaker, and researcher from Kansas City, Missouri who utilizes historical and archival documents, real-time and recorded data, and experimental fibrous techniques. Her artwork explores the themes of environmentalism, identity, and grief, often incorporating interactivity and self-reflection. She has exhibited her work at galleries and events in St. Louis, MO, Columbia, MO, and Lawrence, KS. Additionally, her projected imagery has been shown three years in a row as a student artist and most recently as a selected artist at the Digital Graffiti festival in Alys Beach, Florida.