Resource: #artmakingchange

(image from the “who” section of #artmakingchange - “Socially engaged artists do not act alone. Period. Even if a project is conceived and primarily executed by an artist, s/he is always working in a larger context and environment. Mapping the Landscape reminds us that this brand of artmaking takes place in a dynamic ecosystem of interrelated roles”

#artmakingchange is a platform for exploring socially engaged art. The site includes Mapping the Landscape of Socially Engaged Art, a report highlighting the distinct features of artistic practice that works with and for the benefit of communities.

From the site:

How does socially engaged art improve conditions in a particular community?

And what is socially engaged art exactly?

After researching the landscape of socially engaged art, Helicon Collaborative offered this working definition: “artistic or creative practice that aims to improve conditions in a particular community or in the world at large.” They found this kind of art assumes artists have agency and responsibility to affect social change, and often entails collaborating closely with community members. As such it requires forms and materials that go beyond those used in studio art.

There is also the argument that socially engaged art may not always address political or economic issues– certain expressions of cultural identity are political acts unto themselves.

Visit artmakingchange.org for more.