Call to Artists
If you’ve been waiting for an invitation, this is it
If you’ve been waiting for an invitation, this is it. If you’re overwhelmed and aren’t sure what to do, keeping reading. If you’ve taken a step back lately because you’re exhausted and things are getting worse rather than better, let this be your inspiration to take a deep breath and jump back in.
Democracy, freedom of expression, and the rule of law make it possible for us to make art. That’s why, as painters, writers, dancers, musicians, actors, sculptors, filmmakers, and all other manner of creatives, we have an obligation to fight back now. This democracy isn’t going fix itself.
American bombs fall in Iran with no end in sight. ICE and Border Patrol kidnap and kill with impunity. Robert Kennedy is undoing decades of medical advances and slashing public health budgets. Congress refuses to rein in the terror, while the Grifter in Chief enriches himself and the rest of his Epstein class buddies at our expense.
This edition of the A4D Newsletter doesn’t gently encourage you to take action. Today we say loudly: You must get involved. Now.
What you can do as an artist and creator
Visual artists: Reach out to your local rapid response, mutual aid, Indivisible, or other activist group and offer to make visuals for them. They need good images for their posters, banners, buttons, and social media feeds. Organize sign-making parties to help folks get ready for marches and demos. Groups sometimes reach out to Artists 4 Democracy requesting images. Sign up for our Rapid Artist Response list if you’d like to be notified when they do.
Musicians and singers: Organize groups to play music and sing at marches, vigils, and other gatherings. Music brings people together and can lift people’s spirits. Good percussion can keep people moving in rhythm on a march. Singing Resistance has created a toolkit and songbook to help you get started. Write the songs our movement needs.
Dancers: Have you seen ResistDance’s moving tribute to Renee Good and Alex Pretti? The human body can express so much that words cannot. We need more performances on stage and in the streets reminding us of what’s at stake.
Theater artists: Bring the drama, comedy, and spectacle! Help us see the hidden subplots. We need all forms of resistance theater, from theater of the oppressed to theater of the absurd, now more than ever.
Writers: Put your storytelling, poetic, linguistic, and grammar skills to work to help local rapid response, mutual aid, Indivisible, and other activist groups speak truth to power. Don’t leave the activists to depend on soulless, climate-wrecking AI for their text.
What you can do as a human being
Give time or money to your local rapid response, mutual aid, Indivisible, and other activist groups doing the hard work on the ground. They need you as an artist, and all the other things you can offer.
Vote in your local primary election. Gerrymandering is so widespread than in many places, whoever wins the primary now will win the general election in November. Even if you’re absolutely, positively sure you’re already registered to vote, click right now to check your status.
Call your electeds at least once a week and tell them what you think. This is more effective than you probably know. Emails are nice but phone calls are better. (Pro tip: If phone calls make you nervous, call after hours and leave a voicemail.) 5Calls is a fantastic app to help you start a good calling habit.
Buy better. Don’t spend your hard-earned money at companies that profit from contracts with ICE and Border Patrol. Check out these alternatives to everything Amazon. Explore how to de-Google your online life. Resist and Unsubscribe shows why and how we can reduce market share for some of the worst offenders.
→→→ Show up for No Kings on Saturday, March 28. Join millions of people across the US at your nearest march, rally, vigil, or demonstration. Social media algorithms can’t hide us in the streets. Showing up IRL makes us visible and encourages more people to join our fight.
Do it together. Everything you do, you can do better if you do it with friends. Gather a group to make small donations that add up to real money. Throw a party to discuss the ballot and share ethical shopping alternatives. Create a Signal group chat to stay connected and safe. Make signs, write new chants, bring your drums and brass, and show up with us in the streets. We’ll see you there.