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Social Justice Art

Art as Activism

Join us for a panel discussion on art as a form of activism. Learn more about the art created during the 2020 Black Lives Matter protests & explore the future of public art in Columbus.

In the summer of 2020, people took to the streets to protest the murders of Breonna Taylor and George Floyd and to declare out loud something that should already be inherently known, "Black Lives Matter." The artist community around Columbus came together to paint murals of solidarity and to encourage the protesters with messages of "LOVE IS HOW WE SURVIVE" and "DELIVER BLACK DREAMS. IT'S FOR ALL OF US" and "THE TIME IS ALWAYS NOW" (James Baldwin) and "UPROOT RACISM. GROW EMPATHY." The Greater Columbus Arts Council and Warhol & WALL ST. collaborated with local artists, writers, creators, and organizers to archive the art and document the historic moment of the BLM movement in Columbus in the beautiful and powerful Art | Activism | Action book. In May of 2023, the Greater Columbus Arts Council announced the "Greater Columbus. Greater ART" initiative which is the "first comprehensive public art plan for the city" that is designed to create a roadmap for public art around Columbus.

Join us for a panel discussion with contributors and artists featured in the Art | Activism | Action book. Learn about how artists use their art as activism to begin conversations that address social justice issues and discover what the future of public art will look like around Columbus.

Panelists:

Chris Bournea is a journalist, author, and filmmaker based in Columbus, Ohio. He directed and produced the documentary Lady Wrestler: The Amazing, Untold Story of African-American Women in the Ring. Chris is also the author of the novel The Chloe Chronicles, the play The Springtime of Our Lives, and the co-author of the acclaimed nonfiction book All Jokes Aside: Standup Comedy is a Phunny Business. Chris was a contributor to Art | Activism | Action and the author of the "Social Justice Art: Art as Activism" article.

Donna Marbury oversaw the creative direction and was the editor of the Art | Activism | Action book, which captured the art and the historic moment of the 2020 Black Lives Matter movement in Columbus. Previously, Donna was a healthcare, technology, business, and arts and culture journalist who wrote for Columbus Alive, The Columbus Dispatch, the Columbus Post, ChicagoMusic.org, and AllHipHop.com.

Lisa McLymont is a multidisciplinary artist, graphic designer, and social justice advocate. She is currently a Commissioner on the Columbus Arts Commission and was the lead artist and project manager for the Deliver Black Dreams Public Mural Project (located at 479 E 5th Ave, Columbus, OH 43201). From Lisa's artist statement: "Ultimately, I create in the hope that something in the final work shifts someone else’s perception, and helps them see the power they have to positively act, whether that be in protest, conversation, or to protect someone unlike them."

Richard “Duarte” Brown is a master artist with the TRANSIT ARTS Youth Program and the Ohio Alliance for the Arts Education's Art in the house program. For more than 20 years, Brown has dedicated his talent to helping young people in Columbus through countless programs including CAPACITY (CAPA’s Youth Art Program), the Short Stop Youth Center, the King Arts Complex, Ohio Alliance for Arts Education’s (and formerly GCAC’s) Artists-in-Schools program, GCAC’s Children of the Future, Ebony Boys, Art Safe, and VSA Ohio. Duarte was the recipient of the 2022 Aminah Brenda Lynn Robinson Fellowship and his murals can be seen throughout the city bringing comfort and inspiration to countless viewers.

Program Image Credit: Mural near Ohio Theatre. Artists: Miss Birdy, Brenden Spivey, Wil Wong Yee, Laurie Clements, and April Sunami. Photo by Colin Mayr (2020).

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