Art as activism | Marcus Ellsworth | TEDxUTChattanooga
Summary
TLDRThe speaker explores the transformative power of art as a form of activism, sharing personal experiences and historical examples that demonstrate art's ability to inspire change. From World War II propaganda to the Harlem Renaissance, art has been a catalyst for societal shifts. The speaker recounts a personal encounter that deepened their understanding of art's impact, leading them to activism roles in their community. They encourage artists to share their truths and viewers to engage with art to foster dialogue and promote change.
Takeaways
- 🎨 Art as Activism: The speaker emphasizes that art can be a powerful tool for change, connecting and motivating people to take action.
- 🗣️ Historical Examples: The script references Uncle Sam and Rosie the Riveter from WWII, showing how art can mobilize society and influence perspectives.
- 🌟 Icons for Change: Rosie the Riveter became a feminist icon, demonstrating the lasting impact of art on social movements.
- 🎭 Harlem Renaissance: The script highlights the Harlem Renaissance as a pivotal moment where black artists brought a new perspective to the world stage, influencing the civil rights movement.
- 👤 Personal Impact: The speaker shares a personal story about a performance that led to a profound conversation, changing someone's viewpoint on the LGBTQ+ community.
- 🌈 Art's Emotional Connection: Art can have a deep emotional and personal impact, prompting individuals to rethink their beliefs and attitudes.
- 🔍 Small but Significant: Art can effect change in both grand and subtle ways, inspiring and motivating people on a personal level.
- 🌟 Art as a Catalyst: The speaker's experience with art led to a change in perspective and involvement in various movements for equality and justice.
- 👥 Community of Artists: The Chattanooga area is home to many artists using their work to express truth and bring about change, showing it's a widespread phenomenon.
- 📣 Calls to Action: The speaker encourages both artists to share their truth and audiences to engage with art to spark conversation and challenge views.
- 💬 Art as Dialogue: The script suggests that art can initiate important discussions and prompt personal and societal reflection.
Q & A
What is the concept of 'art as activism' as described in the script?
-Art as activism refers to the use of art as a medium to bring about change, connect people, engage them, and motivate them to take action. It's a way to advance society and mobilize it for a cause.
How did Uncle Sam and Rosie the Riveter serve as examples of art as activism during World War Two?
-Uncle Sam was used to mobilize an entire generation of young men to fight in the war, while Rosie the Riveter encouraged women to join the workforce, which was a significant change in the American workforce and contributed to the feminist movement.
What role did the Harlem Renaissance play in American history according to the script?
-The Harlem Renaissance was a period where black artists and writers created work that was seen on a global stage for the first time, offering a black American perspective that informed the civil rights movement and continues to inspire the fight for equality and justice.
What personal experience did the speaker share about the impact of their art on an audience member?
-The speaker shared an experience where a man, who was initially part of an audience that seemed unlikely to connect with the speaker's work, was deeply moved and began to reconsider his views on the LGBTQ+ community after listening to the speaker's poetry.
How did the encounter with the audience member change the speaker's perspective on the power of art?
-The encounter made the speaker realize that art can have an emotional and personal impact, leading people to think and potentially change their views, which in turn can influence the world around them.
What actions did the speaker take as a result of their realization about the power of art?
-The speaker became more involved in social activism, taking on roles such as the president of Tennessee Valley Pride and co-chair for Tennessee Equality Project for Hamilton and Bradley counties.
Can you name some local Chattanooga artists mentioned in the script who use their art as activism?
-Some local Chattanooga artists mentioned are Big Mike Mike, Ann Law, and Ray Zimmerman, who use their work to address issues such as street violence, breast cancer survival, and environmental conservation.
What is Big Mike Mike's project called and what does it focus on?
-Big Mike Mike's project is called 'City without tears', focusing on telling the true stories of people living in Chattanooga's inner city who have suffered from street violence and police brutality.
What was the first call to action given by the speaker in the script?
-The first call to action was for everyone to get out there and tell their truth using their creative expression, with the intent to connect with people and change the world.
What was the second call to action given by the speaker in the script?
-The second call to action was for those engaging with art to let it move them, spark conversations, challenge their own views, and identify actions they can take to make the world better.
What message does the speaker convey through their original piece performed at the end of the script?
-The speaker's original piece conveys a message of seeking understanding, respect, and equality. It challenges societal norms and calls for recognition of love and humanity beyond traditional beliefs and prejudices.
Outlines
🎨 Art as a Catalyst for Change
The speaker discusses the powerful role of art as a means to inspire and mobilize people towards action and change. Historical examples are highlighted, such as Uncle Sam and Rosie the Riveter during World War II, which significantly influenced societal participation and the workforce's gender dynamics. The Harlem Renaissance is also mentioned as a pivotal moment that brought black artists into the global spotlight, shaping the civil rights movement and fostering ongoing fights for equality. The narrative then shifts to a personal account of the speaker's experience performing spoken word, which led to a profound realization about the impact art can have on individuals' perspectives and societal attitudes.
🌟 The Transformative Power of Personal Connection
This paragraph delves into the transformative effect of personal connection through art, as illustrated by the speaker's encounter with a man who was deeply affected by the speaker's performance. Initially, the man's preconceived notions were challenged by the speaker's spoken word, leading to a significant internal shift in his views on the LGBTQ+ community. The conversation that ensued prompted the speaker to reflect on the potential of art to not only entertain but also to evoke deep thought and change in individuals. The speaker's own journey as an artist and activist is shared, highlighting how embracing this philosophy has led to leadership roles in various equality and justice movements.
📢 Art as Activism: A Call to Action
The final paragraph serves as a call to action, urging artists to use their creativity to express their truths and inspire change. The speaker emphasizes the importance of unapologetically sharing one's story through various forms of art to connect with and influence others. Additionally, the audience is encouraged to engage deeply with art, to let it provoke thought and conversation, and to challenge their own views. The speaker concludes with a personal performance piece that embodies the message of using art to reveal one's soul and to foster understanding and respect among diverse individuals.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Art as Activism
💡Change
💡Connection
💡Motivation
💡Rosie the Riveter
💡Harlem Renaissance
💡Personal Experience
💡Cultural Shift
💡Engagement
💡Truth
💡Community
Highlights
Art as a bringer of change, connecting and motivating people to action.
Historical examples of art mobilizing society, like Uncle Sam and Rosie the Riveter during WWII.
Rosie the Riveter as an icon for feminism and changing the American workforce.
The Harlem Renaissance showcasing black American perspective and influencing the civil rights movement.
Art's role in both iconic, historic ways and smaller, quieter ways of inspiring and motivating people.
Personal experience performing at 'Strange Bedfellows' event and its impact on audience.
An encounter with a man in camouflage who was deeply affected by the spoken word performance.
The realization that art can change people's perspectives and challenge their views.
Becoming involved in various movements and organizations due to the power of art and personal storytelling.
Examples of local artists using their work for activism, such as Big Mike Mike's 'City without tears'.
Ann Law's use of dance to champion causes and tell her story of surviving breast cancer.
Ray Zimmerman's poetry and environmental activism highlighting the natural beauty and threats to Tennessee Valley.
Art as activism happening in the Chattanooga area with hundreds of artists expressing their truth.
The first call to action: Encouraging everyone to use their creativity to tell their truth and affect change.
The second call to action: Engaging with art beyond mere appreciation, using it to spark conversation and challenge views.
A personal piece performed to illustrate the power of art in connecting with and moving an audience.
Transcripts
art as activism another way of saying
that would be art as a bringer of change
art is a way to connect people to engage
people to motivate and move people to
action
now throughout our history we've seen
some amazing examples of that like
during World War two in America we had
Uncle Sam telling an entire generation
of young men that we want you and
mobilizing them to go fight a war on the
other side of the world award that
wasn't very popular with Americans until
Pearl Harbor we at the same time we also
had Rosie the Riveter telling women to
get out and go to work and for the first
time women joined the workforce in
America in masse forever changing the
face of that workforce and Rosie herself
became an icon for feminism another
example we have is the Harlem
Renaissance where for the first time in
American history we had black artists
and writers creating work that was being
seen in the world stage and for the
first time people saw and experienced a
black American perspective and that work
went on to inform the civil rights
movement in America and continues to
inspire us today to fight for equality
and justice now we can point to these
iconic and historic examples of art
being used in advancing society and
mobilizing society for a cause but art
also does this in smaller ways sometimes
quieter ways wherever art is being
created and engaged we see it we see
people being inspired being motivated
being moved and this is a concept that I
didn't truly understand until only a few
years ago you see one night I was
performing at moccasin been brewing
company down in st. Elmo for this event
called strange bedfellows it was
organized by Christian Jay Collier an
incredible local spoken word artist and
musician and Mark porkchop holder who is
an amazingly talented blues musician
from the area and what they had done was
they took poets and spoken word
artists and storytellers and they paired
us with musicians of all kinds to create
dynamic and sometimes unusual art to
share with people now when I was good
when I got up on stage and I begin my
set I noticed this table sitting in the
bar and they stood out to me because
they were the only table in the bar that
was almost entirely decked out in camo
and they had patches with rebel flags on
them on their jackets and their baseball
caps now as a spoken word artist who is
an openly gay black man living in the
south and whose work primarily expresses
my experiences as an openly gay black
man in the south I wouldn't call them my
ideal audience so I kept an eye on them
just in case and there was one guy in
particular at that table who was
absolutely wrapped with attention I mean
he was hanging on every word and
normally as a performing artist that's
exactly what you want you want a captive
audience but this was different
I mean you could see the gears just
grinding you could just see there was a
lot of thought going into what he was
experiencing so uh I was a little
concerned now I get to my set and we get
to this show it was a great night we had
a blast we had a good time we made a
little money
all good things then after the show I'm
out in the parking lot and I'm talking
to Marc holder about the show and that
guy from that table the one that was
staring a hole in me he comes out the
front door and he makes a beeline for me
he comes right up to me he says I need
to talk to you my response was oh really
about what in my head I was thinking we
gonna do this we're gonna do this we
might have to do this all right and then
he goes on he says people like you
people like you I never thought about
people like you that way before they
y'all just want to live your lives and
be left alone and there's there's so
many people out there who want to do and
say all these terrible things to y'all
I have done and said terrible things to
the people like you that was not what I
expected at all and and we kept talking
for a while he was telling me how you
know during the show and after he was he
was sitting there texting his friends
and saying y'all gotta hear this y'all
gotta hear what this guy's saying and
trying to explain to them that this was
you know he was hitting sitting here
listening to a gay poet talking about
his life experiences and it got him
thinking
now their response was man you need to
get out of their ass that's crazy I
don't know no go leave just get out and
he was frustrated because he couldn't
convey to them how this was making him
feel and there are a whole conversation
he just said people like you he never
said gay or homosexual or clear and it
occurred to me that's because he had
always used these terms as a negative as
an insult as a reason or a way to derive
people and so in his awkward attempt at
political correctness all he had was
people like you now it made me think
about a lot of things in that
conversation and I would love to tell
you that that guy went on to become
straight ally of the year that he joined
like 12 different LGBT organizations
started marching in pride parades
changed the lives of everyone he met I
would love to tell you that story but I
don't know because I haven't seen that
guy since but what I do know is is that
that night that conversation that
experience began to change how I looked
at
my art and the art of others it made me
realize that it's not just entertaining
people it's not just creating something
for an aesthetic that it actually does
connect with people that art has an
emotional and personal component to it
that can make people think it can change
them I mean we live in an age of
cynicism where it's like oh you can't
change anybody's opinion you know no
matter what you pay the post on Facebook
you're not gonna change their minds that
might be true but to have an actual
personal connection with someone you can
change them you can change the world
around you and embracing that philosophy
taking that idea and making it a part of
my life has led me to become the
president of Tennessee Valley Pride to
become the co-chair for Tennessee
equality Project for Hamilton in Bradley
counties and to be involved with a
variety of movements and organizations
and actions to fight for equality and
justice on a variety of levels in our
city and in our state all because I'm an
artist who is out there telling my truth
and willing to use it to affect people
and to bring about change now I'm not
the only artist doing this even even in
the Chattanooga area not by a long shot
there are literally hundreds of artists
in our area who use their work to
express their truth to bring about
change to engage people who use their
art as activism some examples are
there's Big Mike Mike also known as
Michael Kelly he's a local hip-hop
artist with a project and an album and a
documentary called City without tears
and he uses his work to tell the true
stories of people living in
Chattanooga's inner city who have
suffered at the hands of street violence
and police brutality and in his work
when he goes out and performs he
encourages folks to get involved with
neighborhood associations and local
organizations that are working
tirelessly to bring an end to violence
in the streets of Chattanooga from all
sides so that we can live in a city
without tears we have people like Ann
law co-owner of barking Lex theatre an
incredible dancer choreographer teacher
and mentor who throughout her career has
used her art
to champion a number of causes including
putting together a one-woman show
that told the story of her survival of
breast cancer we have people like ray
Zimmerman a local poet and
environmentalist who uses his work to
honor the natural wonders of the
Tennessee Valley and also uses it to
point out everything that threatens it
and how we can make changes to protect
it so it's not something that's detached
from any community it's not something
that's detached from the city this
concept of art is activism it's
happening it's happening right now
and I'm not having this talk to just
tell you about that my talk has two
calls to action the first one is get out
there and tell your truth because
everyone is creative in some way you
might not call yourself an artist but
you're probably right you talk to people
you might paint you might dance you
might be a singer use that creative
expression to tell your truth and do so
without censoring yourself do so
unapologetically do so with the intent
to connect to people do so with the
intent to change your world with your
truth and on the other side of that for
those of us who are engaging the art
engage the art don't just come in and
hear performance or look at a painting
or walk past a sculpture smile not
applaud and go on if it moves you let it
move you let it spark conversation with
the people around you who are also
experiencing that art let it make you
challenge your own views and point out
the things that you can do to make the
world better
to change these problems to answer the
question of now what now with that I am
a performer so I would be remiss if I
didn't take advantage of the stage these
lights and all you beautiful people
so I'm going to leave you with my
original piece which happens
coincidentally of course to be one of
the pieces that I was I was part of my
set the night that that young man came
up to me and we had that conversation
that began to shift my perspective on
art and it leaves you with a question
why don't you come and see me sometime
up here on this stage baring my soul not
for everybody out there but for you and
only you you should see me rage against
the cage of a page for it feels like an
age but it's only eternity with a
certainty that was hurting me internally
and burning me is to not see you in my
crowd I am NOT a performer doing it for
a thrill I am an informer looking to
fill you with my stories wrap you in
tapestries woven of my skin so I can let
you in and show you that I do indeed
have a heart but that part is not your
concern you cannot that I yearn to be
seen as an equal a brother and a son to
all the world's people whether here on
this stage or under your steeple I don't
want you to love me that's too much to
expect but your respect that I can
connect with you and affect how you feel
now that's real see who I love and what
I believe that's only the card that does
tucked up my sleeve but I end up here
for cheap tricks and flair I'm up here
screaming hoping you'll care that I
bleed like you but you don't think it
true so you threw me under that cross
not carrying the cost not grieving my
loss because you'd rather be boss than
brother to me and my lover under the
cover of a book that you took and you
shook until all the love fell out but
see I believed the Bible was not written
for libel yet you say my tribal takedown
Society now forgive my impropriety but
I'm not sit by quietly while you abuse
piety to try and lie at me calling hate
love and love abomination because I'm
growing impatient with you running this
nation with a man plus woman equation an
evangelical in
of my house and my home and my House of
Representatives I'm gonna need Senate
isn't there something gives and I'm free
to live without your lies about my god
ruining our country so why don't you
come and see me sometime up here on this
stage baring my soul not for everybody
out there but for you and only you
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