I really enjoyed this week’s articles! I think art definitely has the power to influence a lot of people, so it’s important to recognize it as a tool that can bring about change. I also think that art can be a lot more accessible than the typical interpretations of activism (like protests) — and as said in the article, Why Artistic Activism?: “Unlike fine arts or political policy, artistic activism takes no specialized knowledge for an audience to “get it.”” Activist art doesn’t have to be something dramatic and grand, either. The intent and the message is what’s most important.

Pretentious behavior can flourish in any space. I’m sure that there are unfortunately a few people in artistic spaces that make it difficult for artists to share their opinions and experiences — but there is no wrong way to make art, ESPECIALLY if you are making it in order to challenge or address a social issue. Your work is always important, and will always mean something to someone. If it’s important to you, then it will be important to someone else, too.

I remember when I visited the Boston Museum of Fine Arts a couple months ago, and was lucky enough to see the Fabric of a Nation: American Quilt Stories exhibit. The quilts were absolutely beautiful and so powerfully thought provoking, contained such strong messages about our society and were made by Black, Indigenous, Latinx, Asian and LGBTQ+ artists throughout the years. I never thought that quilts could tell so many stories and I’m still so moved. Passion and activism can be seen through every single art medium!