How Artists and Leaders in the Arts Can Support Global Calls for Change
Look at some of the most significant social and political movements of our time, and you’ll see the important role art has played.
For instance, The Verge reported that in 2020, artists used the boards of closed businesses as “blank canvases” to honor “George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, as well as others who were killed by police.” According to Blair Ruble, a Wilson Center distinguished fellow, amid the ongoing invasion of Ukraine by Russia, the “arts have reshaped the course of Ukrainian history and will frame the country’s future as well.” And in Iran, per The Economist, after the death of Mahsa (Zhina) Amini, “protest art is changing cityscapes.”
It’s an understatement to say that art is powerful in social movements. Art, be it dancing, painting, singing, etc., can sway minds, drive home statements, connect people and fuel calls for change.
As an artist, I believe it’s vital for leaders in my industry to support these global calls for change. Many of us have the luxury of being able to speak up without fear of retribution against ourselves or our families, and we must take advantage of that to support artists and people fighting for that same freedom, among other liberties.
First, a disclaimer: When it comes to art and social movements, I prefer to support and elevate other artists financially. I don’t want to pick up my paintbrushes and create protest art myself for situations where there are artists of those backgrounds already creating that art. I believe that certain situations can warrant artists using their talent directly to support global causes (more on that later). I believe, however, that as leaders in the arts, we can best support our peers who are calling for change by leaving ourselves out of the equation and being allies by amplifying their voices instead.
With that being said, here are several ways artists and leaders in the arts can support global calls for change responsibly and ethically.
1. Provide Financial Support
Providing financial support to our peers in the art world is one of the most effective ways we can support the causes they are advocating for.
Financial support can be buying a painting, purchasing tickets to a show, donating money to artists’ digital funds and nonprofits, and hosting auctions that benefit other artists, to name a few. If you have a big platform, financial support can also involve getting permission from the original artist to sell their art on your platform and then giving 100% of the proceeds to them.
2. Collaborate
As I mentioned above, there are times when artists can and should unite and use their skills for the better good. Collaborations can elevate messages about social and political movements to higher levels and provide financial assistance. Consider some of the most historic music collaborations of the past century, including the Concert for Bangladesh in 1971, which brought together George Harrison and Ringo Starr of The Beatles, Ravi Shankar, Bob Dylan and other influential musicians to raise money for refugees.
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Major collaborations like this are impactful, but collaborations don’t just have to take the shape of major concerts. One example? In 2022, Ukrainian violinist Vera Lytovchenko created a music video featuring “an online collaboration with more than 200 musical artists from various nations” and was able to raise “humanitarian aid for musicians in Ukraine,” according to reporting by The Associated Press.
3. Shine a Spotlight
Some of us in the art community have large platforms, and it’s vital that we use those platforms to shine a spotlight on the work of our peers, especially because some of them, even if they are in the diaspora away from the center of a conflict, might fear for the lives of family and friends they have abroad, and might not want their name associated with their work.
Sharing links to the work of other artists on your social media accounts, hosting special gallery exhibitions that feature artists affected by global events and organizing protest art events are some ways you can help shine a spotlight on global movements.
It’s also crucial to not only shine a spotlight on the work of our peers but also to shine a spotlight on the plight of our peers who have faced retribution for their calls for change. For instance, in support of imprisoned Iranian rapper Toomaj Salehi, who is in danger of being executed, American rapper Ice Cube posted an Instagram story about him, and PEN America published a statement condemning the indictment. We shouldn’t underestimate the power of raising awareness and creating public pressure.
4. Engage in Discourse
Art is incredibly valuable in revealing unjust and uncomfortable circumstances and evoking emotions that can lead to action; however, discourse in and of itself can be extremely powerful, as well.
As artists and leaders in the art world, let’s not shy away from having conversations about the atrocities happening in the world. Whether we’re working with our colleagues in our studio, chatting with family members at home, browsing Twitter on public transportation, etc., we should strive to engage with others about what’s occurring in the world.
You never know the domino effect that one conversation, such as “Hey, did you hear about this imprisoned writer,” or “Hey, did you know that in certain countries, artists face serious censorship?” could have. It could lead to someone learning something they may not have previously known and starting conversations on their own that get even more people plugged into what’s going on—so that the artists and others who are in circumstances beyond what some of us can even fathom know that people are listening to them, watching them and supporting them.
