When Art Meets Activism

BY DYLAN HARRIS | Guest Contributor | Putting creative expression behind a message is an effective way to help spread it. We, as a species, are able to very easily symbolize an idea with something physical. The arts have been used as a way to make people's voices heard as long as the arts have been around.

Sometimes it can be hard for humans to be able to understand why someone is voicing their concern. Incorporating art into this concern allows for anyone to be able to appreciate it for its beauty.

This appreciation makes the chances of someone being interested increase. Once a person is exposed to the art, they are often inclined to want to know why the artist created the piece. This ability to put our thoughts into a different form, our intrinsic curiosity, has paved the way for arts to be a great platform for activism.

One of these platforms, much more powerful in the past than now, is the fine arts.  

In January 1937, during the Spanish Civil War, the Spanish Republicans commissioned Pablo Picasso to create a mural for the World’s Fair in Paris that summer. Picasso had been working on the piece when Italian and German planes, ordered by the rebelling forces, bombed a small Spanish town.

Picasso read a first-hand account of the bombings and decided to abandon the piece he was working on in order to create one representing the tragedy. The resulting piece, titled “Guernica,” would later become nationally recognized. It also helped bring the Spanish Civil War attention when the focus of that time period was on the Second World War. “Guernica” is one of the most famous anti-war paintings.

Music has also been a popular medium for activism, most notably protest songs in the mid to late 1900’s. Often when a new form of music comes about, governments can feel threatened by the amount of influence the music can hold due to its popularity. The Beatles were censored by central eastern European communist nations during the 60’s and 70’s. Regardless of the content of their songs, it was the band itself that was considered threatening.

Music works great in advocating for issues, as lyrics can very overtly express their meaning, and the songs can be sang by people whether they’re musically talented or not.

Today, the arts are still very important in activism. The street artist Banksy uses stencil graffiti all over the world to help bring attention to socioeconomic issues. On top of this, many musicians and actors use their fame to inform the public of their concerns.

We need to continue to use various forms of art to educate others because it’s so effective. Here at UMD, the Minnesota Public Interest Research Group (MPIRG) is holding an Arts for Activism event on April 14 that will showcase local artists. The theme is inclusivity, and all are invited to come by and enjoy food and beverages as well as the great art.

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