Abstract
Art’s utility for social change is often overlooked, but in the midst of several crises, ranging from climate change to the COVID-19 pandemic to police brutality and racial inequality, art-based organizations have provided outlets and services that adapt to and address these crises. The purpose of this research was to discover how grassroots level art-based organizations in the United States have adapted their methods amidst cascading crises, and if these adapted methods are sustainable and transferable. The initial data was obtained during the Fall of 2020 through participant observation while working as an intern with SNAG Magazine, interviews with supervisors and partners of other art-based organizations, and analysis of primary documents, websites, and social media. In the Spring of 2021, I reconnected with organizations to examine the sustainability of their adapted methods. The main findings of this research were that, in a time of upheaval, art-based organizations responded in ways that supported their local and wider communities. Adapting primarily by moving their services online, they emphasized community participation, devised innovative solutions to problems, and stressed the importance of art not being an obligation. Despite early success in adapting, many organizations faced challenges such as funding issues and staff burn out that affected the sustainability of the work. This research adds to limited literature on arts for social change, especially during a time of particular challenge, by providing examples of how arts organizations across the United States are adapting in the face of multiple crises to affect positive change.
Presenters
Caitlin EpsteinStudent, BA, Long Island University Global, North Carolina, United States
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
2021 Special Focus - Voices from the Edge: Negotiating the Local in the Global
KEYWORDS
Crisis, Arts Innovations, Social Change, Arts-Based Activism, Community Empowerment
