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Socially Engaged Art
│Participatory Art│Zines│Re-Performance Art│Behavioral Art│
|There is No Gold Star for Unlearning
I used to love gold stars, until I learned they were rooted in white supremacy.
1. “If I make a mistake it means that I’m the mistake.”
2. “If it’s not in an email, it doesn’t exist.”
3. “It doesn’t matter how long I’ve worked on this project, I won’t feel good about it until it’s done.”
4. “I like to work alone because I know that I’ll get everything right.”
In “White Supremacy Culture, From Dismantling Racism: A Workbook for Social Change Groups”, Kenneth Jones and Tema Okun outline a list of characteristics of white supremacy that show up in our organizations that are powerful and damaging.
1. Perfectionism (gold stars)
2. Worship of the Written Word (gold stars in written form)
3. Quantity Over Quality (lots of gold stars)
4. Individualism (these are all of my gold stars)
Antidotes that Kenneth Jones and Tema Okun offer include (but are not limited to)
1. Developing a culture of appreciation
2. Accept that there are many ways to achieve the same goal
3. Learn to recognize those times when you need to get off the agenda in order to address people’s underlying concerns
4. Evaluate people based on their ability to delegate to others
Take the time to unlearn. It is lifelong, and my journey of unlearning has just begun.
There is no gold star for unlearning.
|Would You Be Mad at a Car for Running Out of Gas?
Everyday I am reminded of how much I have to do.
Every task.
Every to do.
Every reminder.
Every notification.
Every alarm.
Every part of my body aching.
Every part of me trying to hold back tears.
I can do this.
I can call in.
I can do that extra assignment.
I can help out.
I can come over.
I can send that email.
I can.
I can’t.
I can’t do it all.
I can’t do it all and that means that
You have to.
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Don’t forget don’t forget don’t forget don’t forget don’t forget.
Don’t forget that “it’s okay if you can’t do it all right now”.
Don’t forget that you’ve always done it all.
Don’t forget that you’ve never not finished something.
Don’t forget that people are counting on you.
Don’t forget that you’re a failure if you don’t finish.
Don’t forget that if you don’t finish it today, you’ll have to do it tomorrow.
Don’t forget don’t forget don’t forget don’t forget don’t forget.
If things were different, I could tell you how I’m doing.
If things were different, I’d hold your hand and cry and sob and tell you how I’m not doing okay.
If things were different, I could tell you why the assignment is late.
If things were different, I could tell you why I don’t have the energy.
If things were different, I wouldn’t need to break down because,
If things were different, I would be able to do it all.
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I don’t want to be a burden.
I don’t want to create more work.
I don’t want to ask for an extension.
I don’t want to not be okay.
I don’t want to admit defeat.
I don’t want to admit that I need a day off.
Would you be mad at a car for running out of gas?
For needing to refuel?
For hitting a breaking point, and needing to start over?
Would you be mad at a machine for doing what it is built to do?
Would you be mad at a car for running out of gas?
|Comfortable/Comforting/Uncomfy
When talking about microaggressions, privilege, oppression and identity, people can get anxious about offending someone, putting their foot in their mouth, or saying something that they didn't intend to be disrespectful.
Comfortable/Comforting/Uncomfy is an audio tour that encourages self-reflection so that the listener can begin to formulate language surrounding these topics from their own individual experiences.
To participate in this project, grab your phone, some headphones, a sticky note, and a pen. You'll be taking a walk. Click the link on the left for further instruction.
|Now I'm Twenty
When I was five, I loved playing dress up.
When I was six, I was in several sports.
When I was seven, I learned that I wasn’t supposed to go back for seconds at lunch.
When I was eight, Carly said that Cameron said that I was fat so they didn’t want to play with me on the playground because I couldn’t keep up.
When I was nine, I would suck my stomach in tightly as I walked past the skinny girls’ desks.
When I was ten, I learned that I wasn’t supposed to tuck my shirt in or wear horizontal stripes.
When I was eleven, I was cast in my first play, tried squeezing into old costumes, and the designers had to make a dress for me from scratch.
When I was twelve, I learned that black was a slimming color.
When I was thirteen, I learned that plus sized clothes aren’t available at every store.
When I was fourteen, I tried fad diet after fad diet.
When I was fifteen, I got bangs to make my face look smaller.
When I was sixteen, my high school show choir band was choosing dresses, and I refused to wear a skin tight dress.
When I was seventeen, I didn’t want to wear my graduation cap because it made my head look larger.
When I was eighteen, I had never been kissed, and was convinced it was because big girls don’t deserve kisses.
When I was nineteen, I learned that I was never the one that decided I was fat.
Now I’m twenty.
|What's the Solution?
This collage showcases various media that links to a website titled “what’s the solution?” which includes digital copies of the collage, a discussion board, a media submission form, and an about the artist page. The intention for my artwork is to be a catalyst for solutions to the water crisis. To provide a space — in person or online — where everyone is empowered to come together, have productive conversations, and find solutions to the global water crisis.
|What's the Solution?
This collage showcases various media that links to a website titled “what’s the solution?” which includes digital copies of the collage, a discussion board, a media submission form, and an about the artist page. The intention for my artwork is to be a catalyst for solutions to the water crisis. To provide a space — in person or online — where everyone is empowered to come together, have productive conversations, and find solutions to the global water crisis.
This project was a product of the Minnesota Science Museum's STEM Justice Innovation Design challenge. Six young artists and I got the chance to create work that draws viewers attention to serious water issues and engage them in innovative solutions.
not all advice
not all advice is a participatory zine that focuses on art, mental health, social change, higher education, questions and answers -- in no particular order. This project wouldn’t have been possible without artists, strangers, and collaborators alike.
|Workshop in Re-Performance: AAA-AAA
As apart of our HECUA Art for Social Change class, Hope and Sophie workshopped a re-performance of Abramovic and Ulay's AAA-AAA. The instructions of the piece are as follows:
"We are facing each other both producing a continuous vocal sound. We slowly build up the tension our faces coming closer together until we are screaming into each others open mouths."
Find the original video performance here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KeaUO...
How Are You?
How Are You? is a behavioral art project focused on the art of everyday conversation,
and what it means to really listen to each other.
To see more or discuss possible work, click here to contact.
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