Toward Justice
Featured A Look at the Art and Social Justice Practices of Performing Statistics' No Kids in Prison Project
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Umika Pathak
Social practice art, or art geared towards amplifying social justice issues, is on the rise. This review examines how the organization, Performing Statistics, engages social practice art by activating artistic practices, leadership and engagement from impacted communities, and intentional curation of art and statistics for the purpose of broadening public understanding of youth incarceration. The focus is on Performing Statistics Philadelphia No Kids in Prison exhibition at Cherry Street Pier, though the review also addresses the traveling nature of the exhibition. I privilege the production process of the artwork as well as the exhibition experience that the art creates with the intention of expanding the reception that informational exhibits such as these tend to receive by engaging a close-looking analysis of the art.
Exploring the Arts and Social Justice Through Rhetorical Analysis and Reimagining Audience
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Amanda Hobmeier
In this pedagogically focused study, the author shares an assignment approach that encourages students to explore discourse communities and topics of social justice through rhetorical analysis and the reimagination of audiences across various contexts. This project sequence helps students foster creativity and use multimodality while considering cross-cultural exchange and socially-relevant topics. The instructor brings an interdisciplinary background to students who have interdisciplinary interests and helps them see connectivity through shared goals and values. Practical tools and resources are shared.
Creativity in the Time of COVID-19: Accessibility, Social Justice, and the Health Humanities in Pandemic Art Exhibitions
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Soohyun Cho, Natalie Phillips, Sydney Logsdon
Our Mellon funded project, Creativity in the Time of COVID-19: Art as a Tool for Combating Inequity and Injustice, explores how populations are using creative outlets to foster healing and begin to push back against the systemic inequities exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Gathering stories of how individuals turned to creativity to get through the pandemic, this project culminates in digital and in-person exhibits exploring how the shared space of collective artworks (and memories) may pave a path towards envisioning a more just future. We display pandemic artwork alongside the narratives of their creation, helping us preserve the everyday stories of COVID-19 in the global cultural memory and highlight the diverse experiences of the pandemic. Creativity in the Time of COVID-19 also has a particular emphasis on accessibility and disability culture, setting new standards for multisensory engagement in exhibition spaces. Our paper provides an overview of the project, outlines the research potential of the archive, and provides future directions of our work as global populations become increasingly willing to leave memories of the pandemic in the past. We share how past and upcoming events foster conversation around global inequities in access to healthcare and technology, and encourage cross-disciplinary conversation around health and mental wellness.
