Our printmaking instructor Nikki Barber has been printing posters in her basement for protest rallies and marches. “I feel responsible to stand up for my friends who are Black and my friends who are Brown, since I white-pass so easily, but am not white.”
Nikki Barber, printmaking press
Nikki has been active in the social, political, and art in Seattle for years. She helped write this statement for racial justice with the Seattle Print Arts board. Any time there is a need for social justice or reform, Nikki thinks about this quote by 20th century American journalist A. J. Why: “Freedom of the press is guaranteed only to those who own one.” (New Yorker, May 14, 1960, p. 109, paywall)
Nikki Barber, edition of posters
Nikki also named José Guadalupe Posada for his influence in shaping print arts for the people, by the people [There will be a V. Note about Posada tomorrow]. When asked about applying her print arts as activism for the people, Nikki said “I believe printmakers have an obligation to deliver information and agency to the people – especially to those who cannot access or give it to themselves.”
“Intersectionality is often overlooked when talking about racial and social justice. It should not be.” Nikki continued, “Black lives matter. Black trans lives and Black women’s lives fit into this as well. Women often get spoken over, looked over, or forgotten about, so I chose Breonna Taylor and Charleena Lyles to highlight their murders that happened before George Floyd’s. Breonna Taylor was 26 when she was murdered. Charleena Lyles was pregnant when she was shot in North Seattle two years ago.”
“I believe printmakers have an obligation to deliver information and agency to the people – especially to those who cannot access or give it to themselves.” – Nikki Barber, League Printmaking Instructor
I’ve shared most of Carlos San Millan’s favorite paintings by Emil Joseph Robinson but not all, and these paintings are too good to pass by, so I’m sharing the full collection. It’s almost a waste to post them one after the other like this, each of the works is so deserving of independent attention. I’m …
Today’s creative challenge idea comes from AJ Power, the League’s illustration and comics instructor. This project combines a scribble-and-respond drawing with an aspect of the panel exercise from Day 2. AJ calls it a “Monkey Wrench” project, because it gets you out of your habits, and gives you something unexpected to work with. The primary …
Abed Abdi, Muslim Painter Lately I have been interested in what happens to the focus of making art when artists live in politically turbulent times. What happens to your artwork when you feel anxious, confused, frustrated, angry, blindsided, and destabilized? What happens to your artwork when you feel like your opinion is valued, and what …
Let’s do something simple and specific today: Draw this photograph using continuous line. Continuous line is when you don’t pick up your drawing tool once you’ve started. You can speed up, slow down, or stop, but you don’t pick up your tool. You can have up to 3 continuous lines in one picture, if you …
Print Arts and Activism
Portrait of Charleena Lyles
#saymyname
Our printmaking instructor Nikki Barber has been printing posters in her basement for protest rallies and marches. “I feel responsible to stand up for my friends who are Black and my friends who are Brown, since I white-pass so easily, but am not white.”
Nikki has been active in the social, political, and art in Seattle for years. She helped write this statement for racial justice with the Seattle Print Arts board. Any time there is a need for social justice or reform, Nikki thinks about this quote by 20th century American journalist A. J. Why: “Freedom of the press is guaranteed only to those who own one.” (New Yorker, May 14, 1960, p. 109, paywall)
Nikki also named José Guadalupe Posada for his influence in shaping print arts for the people, by the people [There will be a V. Note about Posada tomorrow]. When asked about applying her print arts as activism for the people, Nikki said “I believe printmakers have an obligation to deliver information and agency to the people – especially to those who cannot access or give it to themselves.”
Say My Name
Portrait of Breonna Taylor
Portrait of Charleena Lyles
“Intersectionality is often overlooked when talking about racial and social justice. It should not be.” Nikki continued, “Black lives matter. Black trans lives and Black women’s lives fit into this as well. Women often get spoken over, looked over, or forgotten about, so I chose Breonna Taylor and Charleena Lyles to highlight their murders that happened before George Floyd’s. Breonna Taylor was 26 when she was murdered. Charleena Lyles was pregnant when she was shot in North Seattle two years ago.”
“I believe printmakers have an obligation to deliver information and agency to the people – especially to those who cannot access or give it to themselves.” – Nikki Barber, League Printmaking Instructor
Hey you.
Printmaking class starts June 16.
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Emil Joseph Robinson
I’ve shared most of Carlos San Millan’s favorite paintings by Emil Joseph Robinson but not all, and these paintings are too good to pass by, so I’m sharing the full collection. It’s almost a waste to post them one after the other like this, each of the works is so deserving of independent attention. I’m …
30SAL Challenge: Scribble Panels
Today’s creative challenge idea comes from AJ Power, the League’s illustration and comics instructor. This project combines a scribble-and-respond drawing with an aspect of the panel exercise from Day 2. AJ calls it a “Monkey Wrench” project, because it gets you out of your habits, and gives you something unexpected to work with. The primary …
Abed Abdi
Abed Abdi, Muslim Painter Lately I have been interested in what happens to the focus of making art when artists live in politically turbulent times. What happens to your artwork when you feel anxious, confused, frustrated, angry, blindsided, and destabilized? What happens to your artwork when you feel like your opinion is valued, and what …
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Let’s do something simple and specific today: Draw this photograph using continuous line. Continuous line is when you don’t pick up your drawing tool once you’ve started. You can speed up, slow down, or stop, but you don’t pick up your tool. You can have up to 3 continuous lines in one picture, if you …