Change through the Arts

Throughout history art has been a vehicle for change. The Harlem Renaissance in New York City led by Langston Hughes, Richard Wright, Billie Holiday, and Dizzy Gillespie challenged white paternalism and racism. These artists and intellectuals rejected imitating the styles of Europeans and white Americans and instead celebrated their own identity, dignity, and creativity. The Harlem Renaissance would lay the foundation for the Civil Rights Movement, thus bringing about change through their art. 

The Velvet Revolution, a six week period in 1989 in Czechoslovakia was a bloodless revolution that saw the overthrow of the socialist government there. It was led by Vaclav Havel, a writer and playwright, and many other students of the arts. Their peaceful demonstrations and underground work inspired 750,000 people to demonstrate on two days in November, 1989 and would inspire a nation to go on strike against the socialist government. Their work brought about change for their country peacefully.

Recently, we have seen changes that need to be made within our environment to stop global warming, help conserve our natural resources, save our wilderness areas, and help improve our carbon footprint. Again, art is a vehicle that is being used to bring about these changes. Fed have not seen Al Gore's "An Inconvenient Truth", a documentary that sparked concern in our country concerning global warming. This popular film tells real truths about our environment and has kindled Americans thinking about global warming.

However, Al Gore is not the only person to use an art form to communicate changes that need to be made. Of late I have seen more evidence of artists working to bring about change. On npr.com, a website that I frequently visit, I have seen recent stories of change through art. David Buckland, an artist, started the Cape Farewell Project. Buckland, along with other artists, has made three expeditions to the Arctic to bring back personal stories about global warming. Buckland wanted to help scientists communicate what they were finding about global warming, using abstract concepts we can now see, hear, and read their work from the arctic.

Another recent article on npr.com highlighted the "Cool Globes: Hot Ideas for a Cooler Planet", a public art project in Chicago. The Cool Globes exhibit is designed to inspire individuals and organizations to take action against global warming. Artists from around the world used a variety of materials to turn plain, white spheres into sculpted globes. Check out the article on npr.com and see for yourself these spectacular globes and the changes they are inspiring people to make. 

Change happens in a variety of ways, but the arts can inspire everyone. Using art as a vehicle for change in our world today is a real concept that everyone can get behind! Check out the artists and exhibits above and see how you can get involved in your own community, city, and state!