Njideka Akunyili Crosby, I Refuse to Be Invisible (2013)
My silence these past few days has not been intentional. I lost my mojo. Art classes are on break, human contact is absent, the news that I thought was bad, got worse. I was at a loss for what to send you. Black artists. Black artists. More black artists.
Hank Willis Thomas, Raise Up (2014). Courtesy of nsuartmuseum
The last time there was racial injustice at the top of the news, I sent out black artists. The time before that, I sent out other black artists. I am not tired of sending out black artists, but I need to do something different today.
“BLACK LIVES MATTER” painted on the road to the White House, an order and a message from DC’s mayor Muriel E. Bowser. – Washington Post
For the black artists who have not had the lives, the respect, the resources, the peace, the prosperity, or the credit they deserved. For the living black artists who find themselves choosing how to use their work to express issues of black strength and survival, instead of assuming the ease and variety of artistic exploration and expression that I myself enjoy. For the black artists that I post, and the black artists that I miss, because I am specifically looking for “10 black artists that I should know” instead of choosing something from the 1,000 white artists that I do know.
For more black voices, take action with me today: write your mayor and tell her we want more restrictions on use of force by police – the 8 Can’t Wait.
Robert Pruitt, Creator and Redeemer, 2016 Conté, pastel, colored pencil and charcoal, tea dyed paper, 84” × 60” “Their tattoos on their skin appear as arbitrary, and upon close inspection reveal a religious Virgin Mary as Harriet Tubman and NK-33, a former soviet rocket, inked on their bodies. The symbolism, typography and calligraphy of the tattoo design, and the element of bold red color that stands out in the women’s clothing all work to transform these two regular girls into angels of hope for the black community.” – medium.com
For more black artists, make one contact for 8 Can’t Wait today:
I’m emailing Mayor Jenny Durkan to urge them to take the pledge to enact the #8CantWait Use of Force policies. I live in SEATTLE, WA in the [neighborhood] and I know our city would benefit from these policies. The #8CantWait policies are simple, common-sense and would make our community safer. SEATTLE, WA has 6 policies that are part of the #8CantWait pledge. Can you commit to enacting these additional policies right now? – Requires Exhaust All Alternatives Before Shooting – Ban Shooting at Moving Vehicles
Previously I posted a request for artworks related to the 6′ of space social distancing rule. This call for art has expanded to include anything and everything related to your experience in this quarantine. Open to any media (photography, drawing, painting, printmaking, sculpture, writing, etc). Must be a League member to submit. IMPORTANT: Use the subject line 6′ …
Dallas Contemporary’s digital exhibition EVERYTHING HURTS opened yesterday, June 16, 2020. In response to the recent murder of George Floyd, Dallas-based artist Jammie Holmes, with the support of Library Street Collective, initiated a public demonstration across-five U.S. cities on Saturday, May 30 between the hours of 11:30am and 9pm EST. Airplanes with banners highlighting Floyd’s …
Exercise your creativity This SAL Challenge is a vocabulary based creative challenge every day for January. Materials are artist’s choice. You can draw, paint, sew, collage, sculpt your food, anything you want. See below for today’s creative challenge. Set the timer for 20 minutes and see what happens. PAREIDOLIA A psychological phenomenon in which the …
Max Uhlig, born 1937 The more I learn about art, the less I look at the product, and the more I look at the process. I enjoy the way these drawings by Max Uhlig look, but what I most enjoy and appreciate is my reading of his process. In my mind, I can see him making …
More Black Artists
My silence these past few days has not been intentional. I lost my mojo. Art classes are on break, human contact is absent, the news that I thought was bad, got worse. I was at a loss for what to send you. Black artists. Black artists. More black artists.
The last time there was racial injustice at the top of the news, I sent out black artists. The time before that, I sent out other black artists. I am not tired of sending out black artists, but I need to do something different today.
For the black artists who have not had the lives, the respect, the resources, the peace, the prosperity, or the credit they deserved. For the living black artists who find themselves choosing how to use their work to express issues of black strength and survival, instead of assuming the ease and variety of artistic exploration and expression that I myself enjoy. For the black artists that I post, and the black artists that I miss, because I am specifically looking for “10 black artists that I should know” instead of choosing something from the 1,000 white artists that I do know.
For more black voices, take action with me today: write your mayor and tell her we want more restrictions on use of force by police – the 8 Can’t Wait.
Conté, pastel, colored pencil and charcoal, tea dyed paper, 84” × 60”
“Their tattoos on their skin appear as arbitrary, and upon close inspection reveal a religious Virgin Mary as Harriet Tubman and NK-33, a former soviet rocket, inked on their bodies. The symbolism, typography and calligraphy of the tattoo design, and the element of bold red color that stands out in the women’s clothing all work to transform these two regular girls into angels of hope for the black community.” – medium.com
For more black artists, make one contact for 8 Can’t Wait today:
If you live in Seattle, email: jenny.durkan@seattle.gov
Not sure what to say? Here’s a script:
I’m emailing Mayor Jenny Durkan to urge them to take the pledge to enact the #8CantWait Use of Force policies. I live in SEATTLE, WA in the [neighborhood] and I know our city would benefit from these policies.
The #8CantWait policies are simple, common-sense and would make our community safer. SEATTLE, WA has 6 policies that are part of the #8CantWait pledge. Can you commit to enacting these additional policies right now?
– Requires Exhaust All Alternatives Before Shooting
– Ban Shooting at Moving Vehicles
Don’t live in Seattle? Go here: https://8cantwait.org/
Because I want to post more black artists, but not like this.
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Jammie Holmes: EVERYTHING HURTS
Dallas Contemporary’s digital exhibition EVERYTHING HURTS opened yesterday, June 16, 2020. In response to the recent murder of George Floyd, Dallas-based artist Jammie Holmes, with the support of Library Street Collective, initiated a public demonstration across-five U.S. cities on Saturday, May 30 between the hours of 11:30am and 9pm EST. Airplanes with banners highlighting Floyd’s …
SAL Challenge 14: PAREIDOLIA
Exercise your creativity This SAL Challenge is a vocabulary based creative challenge every day for January. Materials are artist’s choice. You can draw, paint, sew, collage, sculpt your food, anything you want. See below for today’s creative challenge. Set the timer for 20 minutes and see what happens. PAREIDOLIA A psychological phenomenon in which the …
“Reading” drawings by Max Uhlig
Max Uhlig, born 1937 The more I learn about art, the less I look at the product, and the more I look at the process. I enjoy the way these drawings by Max Uhlig look, but what I most enjoy and appreciate is my reading of his process. In my mind, I can see him making …