Art & Design Activism

A general introduction to and an illustrated, practical textbook for the field of social practice.

How can art change society? What aesthetic quality does dialog bring to art? What is the role of autonomy in dialogical art? Dialogical Interventions investigates how dialogical art moves between the poles of social engagement, aesthetic autonomy and social change.

Make Arts for a Better Life: A Guide for Working with Communities provides a ground-breaking model for arts advocacy. Drawing upon methods and theories from disciplines such as ethnomusicology, anthropology, folklore, community development, and communication studies, the Guide presents anin-depth approach to researching artistic practices within communities and to developing arts-based projects that address locally-defined needs.

In Finding Voice, Kim Berman demonstrates how she was able to use visual arts training in disenfranchised communities as a tool for political and social transformation in South Africa. Using her own fieldwork as a case study, Berman shows how hands-on work in the arts with learners of all ages and backgrounds can contribute to economic stability by developing new skills, as well as enhancing public health and gender justice within communities.

Creative Arts in Research for Community and Cultural Change features illustrative articles describing the creative arts in research and practice within neighbourhoods, villages, and cities for community and cultural change.

This book is a comprehensive introduction to the theory and practice of Community-Based Art Education (CBAE). CBAE encourages learners to make connections between their art education in a classroom setting and its application in the community beyond school, with demonstrable examples of how the arts impact responsible citizenship.

Working with community leaders, children, activists, gang members, and everyday people, artists developed a way of using art to help empower and represent themselves. Showcasing the depth and sophistication of the visual arts in Chicago at this time, Zorach demonstrates the crucial role of aesthetics and artistic practice in the mobilization of Black radical politics during the Black Power era.

Told in elegant verse by Susan Verde and vibrantly illustrated by John Parra, this inspiring picture book celebrates the power of art to tell a story and bring a community together.