Art for Social and Political Movements

In this course we will explore how to artists effective use symbolism, typography, materials, historical references in their work to build power and solidarity within social and political movements. We will apply these concepts to a single propaganda project in which we work with a local or regional labor organization, a partnership which will be selected and facilitated by the instructor. Our classroom will be both a space for discussion and also a workspace for producing physical, visual, writing/text, and/or communication design related to the community partners.

Students will learn about historical and contemporary examples, both from the US and internationally, and discuss the role artists have played and can play in these movements. We will use references from political communications, art and design, from mainstream media, political parties, issues-based social and political movements, art movements, and other producers. Some examples may include artists or groups such as: Art Workers Coalition & WAR, Emory Douglas, Interference Archive, Justseeds, Rini Templeton, Taring Padi, YES Men, Taller de Gráfica Popular, Bread & Puppet Theater, and others.

Through the course of the term, students will be guided through a creative process, starting with meeting the partner organization to discover their priorities, existing or future plans for campaigns, actions, or other needs. We will learn through practicing group critiques how artists and designers improve their work by selectively incorporating useful feedback. 

Designs may take the form of printed materials, posters, signs, 3D objects, or other media to be determined through our discovery process. Finished projects will be produced, designed and either delivered to the partner organization or displayed in a public space by the end of the term. 

The goals of this course are to demonstrate through active participation the importance of art and design to the success of social and political movements, and to practice the process of creating art to support these movements in successful collaboration and solidarity with the movement activists who do the work.