Aesthetic Evangelists ~Inobe

In my humble opinion, producing community art is a major responsibility. It can be used to build self-esteem and growth in the community. Most importantly I do believe it could be a response to systematic oppression, and as a result, it can spark conversations and possibly lead to policy and laws changing

Key ideas that resonated with me:

Ø  This quote: “The trouble with a lot of politically motivated art is a failure of nerve. Artists who produce work that they know is not favored by our established regime are not necessarily taking risks since they can forecast the results. Truly taking a risk means not knowing what's going to happen in the end”.

Ø  Secondly, I agree when creating community-based art with highly complex populations e.g. the homeless, mental health, and incarcerated should engage in major research, and public policy surrounding the issues so community member’s involved are armed with tools to help permanently change their situations for the better.

Ø  Another point from the reading that I definitely would add to my checklist when creating community art is being “conscious of the broader politics of funding to develop effective strategies to challenge them”. This is key to a successful project and securing funding.

Ø  I’m curious to hear from other artists about their process working with communities. The guests’ artist from last week was refreshing and inspiring.