Art and Activism

Creative ways to get your voice heard.

Journey to Midway

by Brooke Jarvis

posted Sep 16, 2009

Follow the journey of five media artists, led by photographer Chris Jordan, to Midway to witness the catastrophic effect of our disposable culture on some of the world’s most beautiful and symbolic creatures.

Santa Fe Tells Its Stories

by Heather Purser

posted Sep 09, 2009

The Academy for the Love of Learning created El Otro Lado (“the other side” in Spanish), a citywide public art project that encourages people to learn about one another.

Kids Take Charge of School

by Madeline Ostrander

posted Sep 09, 2009

Students at the Albany Free School and its sister school for upper grades, Harriet Tubman Democratic School, decide how and what to learn.

In Review :: Bill Cleveland’s Art and Upheaval

by Brooke Jarvis

posted Feb 13, 2009

Review of Art and Upheaval: Artists on the World's Frontlines, by Bill Cleveland

Art and Upheaval :: Photos from the Book

posted Feb 13, 2009

This photo-essay features images from William Cleveland's book Art and Upheaval. The book tells remarkable stories about artists who resolve conflict, heal unspeakable trauma, give voice to the forgotten and disappeared, and restitch the cultural fabric of their communities.

NYC Union Square Pillow Fight 2008

posted Nov 04, 2008

Feathers fly and teddies soar as we gather for a massive urban pillow fight! Swing and whack as you evade pillow-wielding assailants. Bring a pillow to Union Square and wait for the signal. Pillow fight!

Urban Playground Movement

posted Oct 31, 2008

the Urban Playground movement is bringing do-it-yourself fun to the heart of big cities. Kevin Bracken, who organizes events in Toronto, says the idea is to create spaces for participatory amusement

People We Love :: Hari Kondabolu

by Layla Aslani

posted Jul 30, 2008

Kondabolu uses comedy to point out hidden assumptions about immigrants.

The Last Last Sunday

by Robert Jensen

posted Jul 29, 2008

Last Sunday was an attempt to combine interests in progressive politics, spirituality, and arts, and culture by creating a space for people to come together that wouldn't feel like a traditional political meeting, church, or concert.

Comic Against Racism

posted Jul 18, 2008

This Colors NW Video Podcast focuses on Comedy as an art-form used to deal with issues of racism. Watch hilarious clips by Hari Kondabolu and Ahamefule Oluo in this short documentary.

People We Love :: Carol Bebelle

posted May 22, 2008

New Orleans Artists “Come Home!”

Signs of Life :: Iraq War

by Madeline Ostrander

posted May 22, 2008

Virtual Memorials for War Casualties

Pete Seeger: How Can I Keep from Singing?

by Sarah van Gelder

posted Feb 01, 2008

Sarah van Gelder interviews Pete Seeger on a life of music and the power of millions of small changes. "Learning how to do something in your hometown is the most important thing," says Pete Seeger. "If there’s a world here in a hundred years, it’s going to be saved by tens of millions of little things.

Pirates on the Open Airwaves

by Brooke Jarvis

posted Nov 07, 2007

Low-power transmitters are making local radio accessible to many. Is this pirate radio or is it serving the public interest?

The Fine Art of Raising a Ruckus

by Jen Angel

posted Nov 07, 2007

Clowns and puppets, theater and drumbeats—street spectacle carves out space for experiencing a new world.

David Solnit Stands Up For Protest

posted Aug 29, 2007

David Solnit Stands Up For Protest

Healing Arts

posted Jul 17, 2007

Examples of how art is used nationwide to promote the healing process.

Nothing Stops Mardi Gras

by Jordan Flaherty

posted Feb 24, 2006

Just six months after Hurricane Katrina, the annual Mardi Gras reigns supreme while many displaced residents still have nothing to celebrate

Art: For the Common Delight

by Dee Axelrod

posted Feb 19, 2006

After a century of art for art’s sake, art in the last decade has been increasingly giving voice to the silenced, illuminating complex political issues, and bringing joy to the public square

Burning Man, the Leave-No-Trace Arts Festival

by Corey Waggoner

posted Nov 07, 2005

In 2003, the Bureau of Land Management declared Burning Man the largest Leave-No-Trace event in the world.