MAKING CHANGE art with an activist agenda

Interview with Megan Franken

2011-01-09T11:47:00.000-08:00

Above: "Harmonious Upcycled Hoodie" by meganfranken

How is the idea of activism apparent in your art?

I like to think that my art expresses activism in two ways. First of all, through the words I put on clothing (I like to choose phrases which encourage environmental activism, such as "Live in Harmony", or "Embrace Nature"). Also, less obviously, through the way each item is made. I call it "authentically environmental" because each and every step must be respectful to the earth.

Do you think political and environmental issues can be effectively addressed through art?

Definitely. Art often allows people to express their ideas with more clarity than words, especially when it comes to expansive, multisided issues like environmentalism. Samuel Beckett said that ignorance was incompatable with art, and I completely agree.

Left: "Adaptive Upcycled Sweater" by meganfranken

Which artists do you admire who have an activist agenda?

It might sound cheesy, but the answer is my friends. I have an amazing group of friends who are changing the world with music, art, theatre, and food (which I definitely consider an art form). I find I'm more convinced by their art than their arguments, which supports what I was saying in the last question.

Tell us something about your process of creating.

When I'm at a loss for what to "write" on my clothing, I like to flip through poetry, manifestos and political texts and write down everything that catches my eye. I always manage to find something that moves me.

What is the name of your Etsy shop?

Waste Not

Right: "Imminent Upcycled Shirt" by meganfranken

Giveaway at the Making Change store ..last day Dec. 23rd!!

2010-12-19T01:42:00.000-08:00

The Making Change store at 18th. Street Arts Center will close for good after Thursday Dec. 23rd.. Open Dec. 23rd from 1 to 5pm...get a free card or ink jet print by mentioning the word "change"..hope to see some of you! It has been a grand experience to host an enterprise of activism..inspiring and instructive!

Making Change Store party and artists' panel Sat. Dec. 11 3 to 6pm

2010-12-08T12:20:00.000-08:00

New additions to the MAKING CHANGE store

2010-11-23T10:58:00.000-08:00

Come and see this powerful collection of art from Dec. 2 to Dec. 23rd.
Panel with artists followed by party with yummy refreshments are on Sat. Dec. 11 from 3 to 6pm..hope to see you there!

Interview with Loretta Nguyen and Eddie Colla of 57thirtythree

2010-11-08T11:12:00.000-08:00

Above: "If You Want to Achieve Greatness, Stop Asking for Permission" by 57thirtythree

What issues are important to you?
Any issues that impede upon someone else's freedoms. Those are the ones that infuriate me the most because they are deliberate attempts to subjugate a specific population or oppress diversity.

How is the idea of activism apparent in your art?
It varies, I think sometimes it's a bit less pointed, like with our bike girl image (right). Other times it's very blatant like with our stand up against (h)8 shirt. Different approaches work for different issues. Much of the time though there is some agenda driving our message.

Do you think political and environmental issues can be effectively addressed in art?
Absolutely, look at the 2008 election. Art played a big role in that election. Art has played a big role in many political movements. Art has the ability to inspire, seduce and call to action, in a way that can be more visceral than the spoken or written word. Look at how many propaganda movements have utilized the arts. It's a powerful tool for communicating.

Which artists do you admire who have an activist agenda?
Robbie Conal, Ray Noland, Cryptik, Banksy, Ron English, Zoltron. I hate these list things because inevitably I forget someone really important and piss them off.

Tell us something about your process of creating?
I listen to NPR. Eventually something inspires me or pisses me off. Then I go make art.

What is the name of your etsy shop?
57thirtythree

Interview with Valorie Creef of Arttoweardiva

2010-10-25T09:25:00.000-07:00

Above: "Peace is Beautiful" by Arttoweardiva

What issues are important to you?

The heart space, keeping it open and clean and interconnected with body, mind, and the divine cosmos that swirls around us, flowing in and out of us with every breath.

How is the idea of activism apparent in your art?

My medium changes often, spontaneously and sometimes literally with the wind. Like grabbing a song floating by on a warm breeze or being inspired to write a short story about a face in a crowd. My organic vegetable garden was not only a labor of love but an opportunity to get connected in a very intimate way with the Great Holy Mother Gaia. It gave me a chance to sink my toes into her soft slippery mud and ground myself in the healing peace that is always there, the garden knows no other language. In a very practical sense it allowed me to share an unbelievable amount of fresh, wholesome food with my family, friends and neighbors, yes I am very popular in my neighborhood!

Above left: "The Everything Ecology Tote Bag" by Arttoweardiva

Out of the garden flowed a series of small "Earth Prayer" collages with themes of Peace, recycling and "one world" interconnectedness. Since having survived the "dark night of the soul" many years passed now, I have never taken the presence of Peace in my life for granted. It is singularly the most precious of things and I am grateful for every drop that finds it's way to me. About three years ago I originally asked myself “what can I do to encourage Peace in this dusty little high desert town?” “How do I put Peace in front of people?” The answer was to make Peace bags, and have everyone walking around with this sacred symbol draped about them. Symbols are so subliminal and speak to the unconscious taking it to that place deep within our souls which never lies and so Art to Wear Diva was born.

Do you think political and environmental issues can be effectively addressed in art?

Art has always been political! Even to the point of what has been allowed to be painted.

The great masters were very subliminal for this reason. Leonardo da Vinci for instance used symbols in his images with deep philosophical meaning, such as Masonic signs for the subconscious eye to consider.

Right: "The Organic Hemp Bag" by Arttoweardiva

Which artists do you admire who have an activist agenda?

Jakob Dylan's lyrics on his CD, "Women and Country" are stark, beautiful and fierce in it's renderings of the plight of the working class in this country and its humiliating rape and economic dismantling by the corporate greed mongers.

My son Ryan Williams aka Cosmic Blacksmith, Recording Artist, Screenwriter, Photographer and Psycholinguist.

Also, the Northwest Earth Institute.

Tell us something about your process of creating?

It always begins in the heart and usually blooms in full technocolor in some outlandish dream, then gradually winds itself through the body and out through the hands.

What is the name of your etsy shop?

arttoweardiva

MAKING CHANGE store now open and a new interview today!

2010-10-18T13:05:00.000-07:00

by Voice of Santa Monica

Elena Mary Siff surrounded by art and artifacts from ‘Making Change’ artists By: Natasha Garyali
“I am appalled by what’s happening and someone needs to bring some thoughtful art to the scene,” says Elena Siff, her voice filled with anger and despair as she talks about some of the worst environmental disasters like BP’s oil spill and Hungary’s toxic sludge disaster that have occurred in recent months. “Our world is being destroyed,” she states, as her eyes wander around the project room of 18th street Arts Center, surrounded by political art posters depicting environmental tragedies, anti-war slogans, peace signs among other artifacts.
“A lot of people gravitate towards these posters,” she says talking about her passion for studying and observing the natural world and creating art. Her eyes cast a glance on a painting hanging on the nearby wall. The poster shows twin towers standing amidst desert, surrounded by pyramids, money and arms, an image that immediately resonates with you, bringing memories of loss, pain and destruction.
For Siff, it also draws back the memory of a postcard that she found in 1979. “It was called ‘two in time’ and if you tilted it on one side you could see the twin tower and on the other a pyramid,” she says remembering how she found the artist’s dual image representation fascinating and drew inspiration for painting ‘ material world‘.
Siff who enjoys living in Santa Monica’s artistic and politically progressive community speaks about the events that led to her interest in political art. Siff had to discontinue her MFA in Film and TV studies at UCLA, after her first born was diagnosed with autism. While taking care of her son’s special needs, she witnessed the lack of opportunities that existed for people with disabilities. This led her to actively engage in promoting work of people with disabilities, specially artists. One of her art work ‘ Speaking Thunder’, an interactive installation placed at the Santa Monica Place in 1993 focused on providing opportunities for people with disabilities. “I was really interested in getting people with disabilities hired at the Santa Monica Place, but I don’t think it really happened,” she says with a look of disappointment, adding that, people with disabilities should have a chance to become valued employees.
While Siff’s interest in political art had always been there, it wasn’t until recently that she got the opportunity to work on it professionally. Thanks to the 18th Street Art Center’s residency program, Siff’s project ‘Making Change’ won an artist fellowship for 2010 theme: ‘ status report: the creative economy’. In her project, Siff addressed how the internet plays a major role in this new artistic economy and included a high degree of public engagement by setting up a virtual marketplace and a physical store housing artworks, crafts, clothing, prints, paintings and more from artists all over Los Angeles. To include artists whose works would bring diversity, Siff selected them on their responses to several questions pertaining to the relationship between art and activism and if the medium of art could be used to effectively represent political and environmental issues. The interviews of these selected artists have been documented by Siff on her blog: Art of Making Change.

One of Elena’s book art, titled ‘Art in Transit’

Apart from being a major assemblage artist, Elena Siff also specializes in creating unique book objects. Drawn to small formats, she has been creating book art for nearly 15 years. The intricacy of work in some of her book art is both amazing and fascinating. On of her book art, titled “Art in Transit” involved her creating a series of ten trucks on which she collaged works of well known artists. She used a miniature truck as the base to haul wise words by Plato, Virgil, da Vinci, Norman Cousins, among others for life. “I took copies of artist work and put my own embellishment on them and for me it was like a collaboration with the deceased artist,” she says pointing her finger at the picture of the toy truck on the brochure. Her book art has been in many international exhibitions and can be found on Vamp and Tramp booksellers and Etsy.
Elena Siff hopes to continue making statements through her art and being the change that she wants to see.
How you can support ‘making change’ ?
On October 23 from 6-10 p.m., at the 18th Street Project Room, Elena Siff will have an opening reception for her project Making Change. The project room houses several artworks, crafts, clothing, prints, paintings, powerful posters, books, calendars from the Center for Political Graphics and more original art by artists all over Los Angeles. Geared towards creating social awareness about our environment and society, at project room, you will not only be inspired but also find something that resonates with you and your beliefs.

Apture™

by Voice of Santa Monica

The artifacts range from $1 to $4000 and include recycled T-shirts ($6), crazy art dolls ($15), crotchet coasters with messages ($10-$15) among others. All artists receive 100% of any sale and your purchase will help support artists and their efforts in ‘Making Change’.
Making Change, Project Room, 18th street Arts Center
October 18 – December 23, 2010
Thursday through Saturday
1 p.m. – 5 p.m.
Artist receptions: Saturday, October 23, 2010
6pm- 10pm
[On Nov 2, if you are visiting 18th street Arts Center for voting, swing by Elena Siff’s Project room between 12 p.m. – 7 p.m.]

The Making Change store is open now and looks great..open Thur/Fri/Sat from 1 to 5pm till Dec. 23rd. ..Big public reception is Oct. 23rd from 6 to 10pm...would love to see you there!! Excellent etsy sellers have work on view!!

Interview with Shawn P. Wilbur of Corvus Editions

2010-10-05T10:55:00.000-07:00

[Above: "Helen Keller Bottlecap Pin" by Corvus Editions]

The MAKING CHANGE Etsy team is for artists committed to activism. Please tell us what issues are important to you.

Liberty, environmental and social sustainability, and teaching the history of those ideas. I'm a mutualist anarchist, but my cultural work covers a lot more ground than that.

How is the idea of activism apparent in your art?

My work is essentially educational. I worked for years as a bookseller and university instructor, and then that work went away with the changes in the economy. So I've found other means to at least try to keep doing that same work. The works that I publish and the images that I use in my art are all drawn from my researches into radical history. In some cases I've drawn book-design elements from radical presses of the past.

I try to use recycled or repurposed material for almost everything. Most of the paper I use is produced from farm-waste. My books are nearly all covered either with wall-covering, upholstery samples or paper I've made at home from junk mail and scraps. It's a constant learning experience, working with scrap material, and I try to share as much as I can of what I learn.

[Left: " E. Douglas Fawcett, Hartmann the Anarchist - 1893" by Corvus Editions]

Do you think political and environmental issues can be effectively addressed in art?

Yes. Of course. There are so many examples of powerful political art. There's a lot that art can't do, in terms of addressing very specific issues, but many of those issues can be addressed by artists and other cultural workers. I find that I'm increasingly foregrounding the scrap elements in my work, and highlighting the seams so that people can see what can be done with material that was essentially waste, and maybe see enough to try it themselves.

Which artists do you admire who have an activist agenda?

The Just Seeds group, the Beehive Collective.

Tell us something about your process of creating.

[Right: "Voltairine de Cleyre - Germinal - framed poem and pictures of Angiolillo" by Corvus Editions]

I start with historical research, and collect texts and images. Some of the things that I collect sort of push themselves forward, generally because they seem to have something important to say in the present context. I have a general aesthetic, roughly neo-19th-century, to complement the sources, and a bit primitive, which is partly a matter of letting the seams show and partly me playing to my personal strengths. I try to make everything I put together sturdy, and obviously so, so that people will be less hesitant to pick things up and use them. For the most part, I print text and images in black and white and add color by hand, so each item is at least a little different from the others. I tend to work fairly quickly once I'm really producing items, but I do a lot of experimenting in the early stages of each project. A test book-binding may end up riding around in my satchel for a month before I decide it's durable enough to run with.

What is the name of your etsy shop? CorvusEditions

Fantastic opening of the MAKING CHANGE store yesterday!

2010-10-03T11:42:00.001-07:00

Huge opening reception at 18th. Street Arts Center yesterday..great response to Making Change store..powerful art! Come see ..open Thur/Fri/Sat 12:30 to 5pm till Dec. 23rd!

MAKING CHANGE STORE at 18th. Street Arts Center opening Oct. 2nd.

2010-10-01T18:06:00.000-07:00

ElenaMary says:

My "artist in residence store" at 18th. Street Arts Center in Santa Monica is opening Oct. 2nd...Etsy sellers are represented along with many of the best political artists in Los Angeles. The MAKING CHANGE Blog features only etsy sellers who are members of the MAKING CHANGE ETSY TEAM..some of whom are represented in the actual store..Contact me if you create political work and would like to be interviewed for the MC blog:

Those of you in Los Angeles please come and visit me in the store..days and hours are: Wed/Thur/Fri/Sat 12:30 to 5pm

http://18thstreet.org/projects/making-change-elena-siff

Interview with Jen Wojtowicz

2010-09-20T01:53:00.000-07:00

Above: "St. Martin de Porres--Justice Equality Peace" by Jen Wojtowicz

What issues are important to you?
Human rights for all people and saving our planet.

How is the idea of activism apparent in your art?
I represent all people in a reverential way. I am inviting the viewer to reconsider traditional Western images of the holy and sacred, which have been commodified, homogenized, and really only represent one group of (white) people. I am inviting the viewer to consider the holy and sacred nature of people who have been disregarded, discriminated against and treated very badly in the United States on the basis of their color, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, mental heath issue, disability, or economic situation. I am inviting the viewer to examine what is in their hearts and minds, and to think in a different way if need be. I am inviting the viewer also to consider the wisdom and sacredness of all spiritual traditions. I also frame issues in the context of a holy person or saint, like addressing racism in a St. Martin De Porres (patron saint of African-American people and of social justice) or the destruction of nature in the painting "St. Dorothy, Patron Saint of Gardeners, Buries Land Developers to Make Room for a Field" (at right).

Do you think political and environmental issues can be effectively addressed in art?
Oh yes. Art can effectively translate an idea or an emotion into something tangible. And an image can be a powerful thing, it has a way of staying with you, of speaking to the heart of the matter.

Which artists do you admire who have an activist agenda?
Definitely my husband, Marcus Kwame Anderson, also Dwell, South African graffiti artist Faith47, Ricardo Levins Morales, Nathan Meltz, and the Just Seeds Artists Cooperative, and James Koyote Staley.

Left: "St. Margaret of Castello/God Made Us Perfect" by Jen Wojtowicz

Tell us something about your process of creating.
I'm always telling myself a story when I paint, or build a shrine. I have to get to a certain place internally, where the story or the feeling is directing my hands and my decisions about the piece.

What is the name of your etsy shop? JenWojtowicz

MAKING CHANGE STORE TO OPEN on Oct. 2nd

2010-09-04T07:56:00.000-07:00

http://www.facebook.com/ElenaMarySiff#!/event.php?eid=146307458736813&ref=mf

Official opening is Oct. 23rd. but actual opening is on Oct. 2nd. from 1 to 6pm at the Beer/Music/Art benefit event!!

Interview with Q and 17thletter Photography

2010-08-27T12:20:00.000-07:00

[Above: "Equal Rights for All" by Q]

The MAKING CHANGE Etsy team is for artists committed to activism. Please tell us what issues are important to you.

-This is a pretty tough question to answer concisely as there are many issues that are important to me and there are also issues that I'm not knowledgeable of that I find that are still important. My utmost concern are the social issues. Poverty, race relations and perceptions especially when it concerns with government and law, immigration reform etc. I find that my need to make all things as fair as possible makes me more passionate about social issues than say...the foreign wars this country is active in or that of environmental issues.

How is the idea of activism apparent in your art?

There are two methods in which I try to convey activism with my photography. A lot of the times, I'll make the subject matter of my photography outright and out there so that the viewer knows what it is I'm actually trying to convey. With this method, I'm pretty much going with the photojournalist's perspective of getting the shot. No cloud, confusion or gray area. Then there are times when I take a subtle approach. These come few and far between because they're the hardest to successfully accomplish. I'm quite fond of these works because I feel that I can engage a viewer into thinking about the issue more and hopefully change their minds, should their views on the subject be different from mine.

[left: "Sold on the Dream" by Q]

Do you think political and environmental issues can be effectively addressed in art?

Emphatically yes! There are so many great artists out there who are successful in getting the message out...either the artists' own or the issue at hand. One name that comes to mind is Shepard Fairey. His whole Obey propaganda has influenced me a great deal and has helped build my social activism and I'm quite sure many others out there have been influenced by his work. What's so great about him, and many other street art and street artists out there is that their work is accessible to everyone because they're readily available out on the streets and not solely in art galleries. Street art is a great medium in which to spread a message or idea/issues out. On the other side of the coin though, it's a sad thing to find that many works are overlooked because the general consensus is that such works are the works of vandals or plain graffiti. I beg to differ though. This is the people's art.

Which artists do you admire who have an activist agenda?

Well, because I've already named Shepard, I can't really use him for this one huh, lol. So, other than him, I'm also a big fan of Estevan Oriol's work although to be honest, I'm not quite sure if some of his works are overtly political. I would like to think that said works, are in the very least, subversively political. How can it not be? Even if it is unintended, I find that a lot of his street photography, and his photographs of the many gang members he's taken, speaks about many of the social issues that I myself try to show the world.

[right: "No to H8" by Q]

Tell us something about your process of creating.

My process of creating is that...I have none. I probably shouldn't have said that but I'm being honest. I'm always with a camera or two and when I go out, I go out to capture the world in all its beauty. As sad and as heart wrenching as some of some of these social issues can get, I find a certain beauty to them because in the end, it really is just a beautiful struggle. Take that however you want to take it. I just try my best to capture while at the same time being fair and honest if that makes any sense.

What is the name of your etsy shop?

The name of my store is PhotographyofQ. I'm still working on a series of photos called "A Beautiful Struggle" that deals with social issues and as far as I'm concerned, it'll always be a work in progress...

Interview with Celeste Christie and Steve Damewood of Art for a Democratic Society

2010-08-02T05:00:00.000-07:00

Above: "If You Give a Gay Mouse a Cookie" by Art for a Democratic Society

Please tell us what issues are important to you.

A4DS tackles a lot of different issues; we tend to focus on different political or local issues as they come up. Politically, our views are left-wing and there are many things about modern society that we think should change, and know can be different, but we don’t see A4DS as a way to initiate independent political actions; that is the role of grassroots activism in our view. Some of our goals or hopes are to be able to lend some support to existing movements as well as initiate public political exchange and debate on political issues. So, for example, we supported a labor action by locked-out Waste Management workers helping on the picket line as well as setting up a table in Oakland with markers and poster board and asking passersby to help create picket signs. In a small way, with projects like this, we can both lend concrete “artistic” support to an immediate cause, but also engage people around immediate issues in what we hope, is a fun and unexpected way. In addition to that labor action, we've done projects and pieces about the death penalty, gentrification, the economic crisis, elections, as well as art history, theory, and aesthetics.

How is the idea of activism apparent in your art?

Activism is central to what we do. What we make is really ancillary to a wider project usually conducted in the public sphere. Lately, we've been partnering with activist organizations to create cultural responses to issues at hand.

We also hope it comes across in the manner that we operate and conduct our art projects. We not only stress grassroots discussion about political issues, but take a participatory and grassroots approach to our projects as well. One of our ongoing regular projects is called “The Polarizer” which is just a big blank tablet that has been divided into two columns. We set the tablet on an easel at a street corner and have people weigh-in on one side or other of a particular issue by writing a response on the appropriate side of the tablet. Some months, the question is a straightforward one with the responses acting as sort of an impromptu straw poll of an issue. Other months, the question is more abstract and so we might ask people to write their version of “utopia” on one side of the tablet or their idea of “dystopia” on the other.

Right: "Write On!" by Art for a Democratic Society

Do you think political and environmental issues can be effectively addressed in art?

That's kind of a tricky question. What do you mean by "effectively addressed?" We think political art can be effective as art. We don't think political art by itself can be effective in creating social change. However, if we look at the history of social movements, art movements and cultural movements are intertwined within them. Artists can react to social struggles and create cultural directions that aid political movements, but political organizing is essential to social change.

Which artists do you admire who have an activist agenda?

Jeremy Deller, the Yes Men, Banksy, Favianna Rodriguez, Melanie Cervantes and Jesus Barraza, Packard Jennings. We are also in awe of many in the generation of artists who were politicized by the events of the early 20th century such as the horrors of World War I, the movements of the Depression-era, and opposition to fascism. Many of these well-known artists like Diego Rivera, Bertolt Brecht, George Grosz, John Heartfield, John Steinbeck and George Orwell chose to use their skills to try and address or reflect the changes going on in the world.

Tell us something about your process of creating.

One of us comes up with a kernel of an idea, usually when we're pissed off and talking about the latest political issue, and then we talk it out to expand it into something. Usually then we decide
whether it's something we'll make together or run with on our own for a while.

Left: "Community Consensus Manifesto" by Art for a Democratic Society

We try not to be mechanical about it: we don’t just read the headlines and pick one to talk about. So it’s always something that we’ve been talking about, something immediate like the prop 8 vote or a local strike, or something that a lot of people around us at work or socially have been discussing and arguing about.

Once we have a basic idea of the issue we evaluate different ideas about how to present it. What we always try and consider is if it is open enough that we aren’t simply fishing for people to come to the same conclusions we may have, but that it’s specific enough to be challenging and hopefully elicit debate.

The way our political bias does fit into our process is in what issues we choose to highlight and the way in which we do. We don’t see change coming from establishment political parties, but through social movements, so when something like Prop 8 comes up, we tend not to have projects focused on the legal and constitutional issues involved (such as court challenges and lobbying and so on) but on the grass-roots side of the issue.

What is the name of your etsy shop?

http://a4ds.etsy.com

MORE ABOUT THE ART FEATURED ABOVE:

This is the result of one of our favorite projects, the Community Consensus Manifesto. We did a poll at Oakland's First Friday art walk asking people questions about art and its place in society, based on an agree/disagree scale of 1 to 5. The questions were statements taken from various art manifestos. Based on people's responses, and using an elaborate methodology, we created a consensus manifesto.

Another favorite project of ours, Write On! is a compendium of anti- war posters "defaced" by volunteers at First Fridays. We printed templates of anti-war posters publicizing a protest, featuring George W. Bush, Hillary Clinton, and Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi, and then asked people to deface them. There was a wide range of responses, from violent (tearing out the face on one poster), to juvenile, to clever, to serious. We compiled the results in this zine, and put up
the original posters around town.

If You Give a Gay Mouse a Cookie is a little different in that it's all our original content and not a community collaboration. We came up with the story and dialogue together, and Steve illustrated it. It's a parody of the children's book "If You Give a Mouse a Cookie," and a parable explaining the Paris 1968 slogan "with the eating, comes the hunger" from the standpoint of the gay rights movement, specifically the right to marriage. It's also appropriate for children (though not too young, maybe).

Interview with GARRICK of Senioritis

2010-07-05T09:36:00.000-07:00

Above: "Malcolm X Print" by Senioritis

The MAKING CHANGE Etsy team is for artists committed to activism. Please tell us what issues are important to you.

We are devoted to education and to helping people find inspiration in their lives. We think our world suffers from a huge amount of negativity. Our goal is to provide the public with unique and cheery art featuring inspirational individuals, and to bring some positivity into people's lives. We also hope to spark some curiosity, by introducing figures throughout history to people who may not have had prior exposure to these individuals. Our hope is that people will see our art, perhaps do some research, and start to see how many people have faced adversity and overcome obstacles to make history. A positive attitude sparks productivity, and productive, happy people are the kinds of people we like to see.

Right: "Mahatma Gandhi Coaster" by Senioritis

How is the idea of activism apparent in your art?

Our work depicts individuals throughout history who, whether well-known or not, have made a name for themselves. We do research to find people and quotes whose messages are promoters of change - mostly a change in attitude. Our art stresses hard work and positivity, and we believe that if enough people see these messages, they will start to believe them, and eventually will change their lives in positive ways.

Do you think political and environmental issues can be effectively addressed in art?

Art is absolutely an effective medium through which to address and push political and environmental issues. People look to art that has meaning. Something that looks pretty is fine; but art is something that makes people think and question their lives and the world around them- something that sparks curiosity. We work hard to create art that is both aesthetically pleasing and provocative.

Which artists do you admire who have an activist agenda?

We are huge admirers of the folks over at TOMS. While many people may not necessarily view them as artists, their creative designs and incredible business model are working to effect change throughout the world. Other objects of our admiration (perhaps more widely known as "artists") include the artist Frank Kozik, whose satirical poster art and vinyl sculptures are totally captivating, as well as Shepard Fairey, whose work captures political movements throughout time and has completely reinvigorated political art.

Left: "Linnaeus Print" by Senioritis

Tell us something about your process of creating.

Our design process is research driven; it’s pretty simple but a bit backwards. We think of a Famous Senior that we would like to pay tribute to and then look for a quote that we like. If we can’t find a quote that we like we put that design on hold until we can find a quote. Without a quote there’s no point in moving forward since the quotes are such an integral part of our tributes. Once we do find a quote we begin to design around that quote. The first step in our designing is to lay out the design, sometimes the layout is sketched but more often it’s just a mental layout. We then choose the colors we would like to work with and it’s off to the races, the majority of our work from this point on is done with software from Adobe Creative Suite; this allows for easy edits throughout the process which makes us happy.

What is the name of your etsy shop?

We are senioritis, and our line available on etsy is Senioritis Remembers Famous Seniors: An Art Tribute.

Interview with SARAH ROE, creator of Art for Change

2010-06-20T10:00:00.000-07:00

Above: "The World Needs You" by Art for Change

The MAKING CHANGE Etsy team is for artists committed to activism. Please tell us what issues are important to you.

I am concerned with a pretty broad spectrum of issues facing our world today. Everyday it seems I hear of a new tragedy ensuing in the world, whether it effects people, animals or the environment. That's why it's so important that we all do our very best to create change and help turn these stories into positive ones. Some of the issues my current work addresses are the importance of accepting and loving other people no matter their religion or race, the need to treat all beings on this planet with value and care, working to stop human trafficking, rescuing child soldiers and ending the wars and genocide, bringing awareness to the mounting global water crisis, transforming our education system to see children as individuals and reconnect them with the world and with nature and promoting sustainable development in third world countries. Other issues that are very important to me are fighting for indigenous rights and cultural preservation, working to create solutions for the global epidemic of homeless children, supporting family farms and sustainable farming practices and ending government support of commercial farms that churn out toxic food and treat animals with unspeakable cruelty.

How is the idea of activism apparent in your art?

I think the idea of activism is most apparent in my 'Bring The Change' collection, which is all about bringing attention to the problems our world is facing and encouraging people to look inside themselves and become a part of the solution. Many of these pieces incorporate text, which gives the viewer a clearer idea of the message the piece coveys, but each element of the imagery also has important meaning. For example the print [at left], 'Peace Within' is about ending war, genocide and hate; at the top of the piece you can see what looks like a leaf or a flower poking through the background -- this represents hope. The birds at the bottom of this piece represent harmony and peace and love and care for others. But conversely, the birds can also be seen to represent the struggle, the face-off, between two people who are in essence the same and yet are living in their own bubble and enact hatred towards one another out of ignorance. Every symbol or image in these pieces represents a part of an overall message, but as seen with the birds, these elements can be interpreted in different ways or in ways that evolve as you move through the piece. It is almost like a code that each person can only decipher the meaning of for themselves. My hope is that this process of viewing the piece and studying the meaning of each element really makes the viewer think about the issue in a full-circle manner. Every viewer is going to see something different and think about the issue in a different way, in a way that speaks to them. If I can get people thinking about these issues, then hopefully they will talk about them and even more importantly, get involved in creating positive change.

Do you think political and environmental issues can be effectively addressed in art?

Absolutely! I think art is an amazing medium for addressing these issues in a thought-provoking way. It's a less expected route to addressing environmental, social and political issues. Usually we hear about them on the television, in the paper, the internet, the radio. But art is a way to view these issues from a fresh perspective, in a less obvious way -- a way that requires the viewer to become involved in the thought process. There is more room for contemplation when you are standing in front of a piece of art in relative silence studying it, letting your mind spin and relate than when you have a newscaster or news writer telling you the story. Art creates a space for the viewer to become more involved, and hopefully that translates to a viewer who will come to take the issue more personally. And since we are all a part of this global community, we should take these issues personally; we have a duty to stand for justice, even if that justice is needed 8,000 miles away. Of course, I am not down-playing the importance of factual news reporting; this is imperative to building a foundation for awareness regarding these issues, but I believe art can take that awareness to a more personal level and help to encourage activism.

Which artists do you admire who have an activist agenda?

Shepard Fairey. His work is incredible- so visually rich, emotional and definitely thought provoking. I originally knew him, as many people probably do, as the creator of the 'Andre' movement in street art, but I was lucky enough to see his show in Boston and was absolutely blown away by the magnitude of what he is doing- and the meaning behind all of it, which I had never been exposed to. His work is stunning, visually, but once I learned about the message of activism behind it, he quickly topped my list of most admired artists.

Tell us something about your process of creating.

One of the things that I love about my creative process is that I try to let my pieces have a life of their own. I don't sit down for hours and plan them out. I may find inspiration in a song, a poster, a statement or perhaps a cause that I want to support and I then I let the ideas, images and text flow and see what happens; I try to let each piece evolve and speak for itself. If I misspell a word in the text on a print, I will usually leave it that way or if I move an image by mistake, I may take that as a sign that the piece was meant to take a different direction. I really try to let the piece have its own voice. This philosophy partly stems from my interest in the Dada art movement of the early 1900's. An element from this movement that always stuck with me was the idea of letting chance play a role in the creation of a piece because 'mistakes' are a real part of life and they are often what makes life, and in my opinion, art, most beautiful. For me, misspellings, overlapping and cut-off text and images, these are what give truth to my pieces and make them feel 'real' in the context of a world that is also seriously imperfect.

Above right: "Own Hero" by Art for Change

What is the name of your etsy shop?

My shop is called Art For Change. Of course, most importantly this name means that I want my art to support positive change and movement in this world. However, it is also an important part of my philosophy to keep my prices affordable so that more people can enjoy non-mass- produced art in their homes. So, the name Art For Change can have that dual meaning of change as in an evolution (or hopefully revolution!) or change as in coins. I like the fact that it has that ability to be read in two ways. (Readers may also like to visit my other website, Sarah Meredith Gallery.)

Interview with Eric Andre

2010-06-05T17:39:00.000-07:00

[above: "Explosive Things" by Eric Andre]

How is the idea of activism apparent in your art?

I think that some form of activism may come off as apparent in my art, but it's usually not intentional. I don't set out to make political art or social change. I usually just try and do art with a more automatic or stream of conscious approach. There are however a few works that are intentionally political or social statements. For example, the one of George Bush and Osama Bin Laden wrestling. I try more to make art that is based on history and popular culture/society.

Do you think political and environmental issues can be effectively addressed in art?

Yes, I do believe that political and environmental issues can have great effectiveness in art. Especially if you consider music a part of that "art." People like John Lennon or the Beatles and Bob Dylan did that to great effect. I also think that the Pre-Raphaelite painters of the Victorian period did the same thing with art. They painted things far more realistically, especially with Religious subject matter. People were afraid at first, but they soon came around and understood what they were trying to portray. Paintings like John Everett Millais' 'Christ In The House Of His Parents' are very powerful to me and influence me a great deal. It brings across ideas I've had about religion ever since I started asking serious questions about it when I was a child.

[right: "Ace in the Whole" by Eric Andre]

Which artists do you admire who have an activist agenda?

I don't really seek out artists with an activist agenda. Can most artists be considered to have an activist agenda? I think most artist today do. I really like contemporary artists like Ron English and Banksy. I believe they have an activist agenda. I think most graffiti and billboard artists do. I also admire, again, The Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, John Everett Millais, Dante Gabriel Rossetti and William Holman Hunt. I don't really know if Andy Warhol had an agenda, but his work was definitely a poke at modern society and corporate America.

Tell us something about your process of creating.

I have a great many different processes for creating. I am obsessed with creating and I have to do it all the time. I also make music and in creating music alone I have many different processes. For all of the work that I have been doing recently that is on Etsy it's all the same process. I gather together digital photos, make a digital collage and then open the collage in a painting program that I have on my tablet PC and paint over it. Pretty simple really, but I still prefer traditional Oil Painting and traditional Collage. When I was younger I mostly just used pen/ink for all of my drawings. Then I started using pencils and focused more on shading.

[left: "No Art Allowed" by Eric Andre]

What is the name of your etsy shop?

Unfortunately it's ichiromito. I signed up for Etsy a couple of years ago just to buy someone's artwork. When I wanted to put my own up I couldn't change the user name. The banner on my Etsy page actually reads 32 Bit Studio.

Interview with Kimberly Harris

2010-05-20T14:35:00.000-07:00

Above: Magic Bus Fantasy Road Trip by Kimberly Harris

How is the idea of activism apparent in your art?

I’m not sure I consider myself an activist. An observer and commentator would be more accurate, shedding light on the absurdity of a situation or event. There is no real political agenda. I’ve been a registered independent for many years.

Do you think political and environmental issues can be effectively addressed in art?

Yes, of course. I like to think that dealing with the issues in a more humorous vent helps to illustrate the absurdity and absolute madness of the powers-that-be, because the decisions they make and the drama that surrounds them can affect our lives in such profound ways.

Left: "Dance of the Auditors" by Kimberly Harris

Which artists do you admire who have an activist agenda?

I would first mention The Guerrilla Girls for being the conscience of the elitist male-dominated contemporary art world. I also have a high regard for Frida Kahlo and Georgia O'Keeffe. They were two outstanding female artists who broke through the social barriers of their time by creating amazing and timeless works of art.

Tell us something about your process of creating.

Almost all the politically-themed artwork is derived from reading and watching the news. The news media is an endless source of material. I also have a friend, Donovan, whom I collaborate with on much of the political art. An idea has to make us both smile before I put pencil to paper and stylus to tablet.

Right: "Green Man is California Dreaming" by Kimberly Harris

What is the name of your etsy shop?

My Etsy shop is FullFrogMoon. I have a winter holiday store called FullSnowMoon where I take my artwork and make them into ornaments. There is also a Facebook page under Full Frog Moon where comments are welcome.

Interview with Ed Frascino

2010-05-05T00:38:00.000-07:00

above: Ed Frascino, "WMD"

Q: Please tell us what issues are important to you.
Animal Rights. I am appalled by the inhumane treatment of animals whether it be in the wild, in laboratories, in animal farms, in circuses, in zoos, or in domestic settings.
Endangered Species
Environment/Global Warming
Anti-war
Gun Control

Q: How is the idea of activism apparent in your art?
I can't be objective enough to analyze my own work. If I tried to define it I'd be hampered when it came time to produce it. The idea of activism seems apparent in my work simply by looking at it. One picture is worth a thousand words.

left: Ed Frascino, "Global Warming Note Card"

Q: Do you think political and environmental issues can be effectively addressed in art?
Images can very powerfully address political issues. Goya and Daumier did it and Picasso most prominently did it with his famous Guernica. Photo journalists make an impact with one photograph. The United States is now fighting in two wars. If each day every newspaper printed on their front pages images of battlefields and the sufferings of civilians living in war zones perhaps Americans would understand what war is really like. It ain't like a John Wayne movie.

Q: Which artists do you admire who have an activist agenda?
Pat Oliphant, Tony Auth, Ben Sargent are three of many excellent editorial cartoonists who with a single drawing can cut to the core of complicated political and social issues. One of the greatest was the late Herblock whose caricatures succinctly satirized any subject he chose to skewer. In the past there was Heinrich Kley. His masterful pen line drawings blend fantasy, satire, and humor. The magnificent Saul Steinberg elevated the art of cartooning to the realm of the great masters. Beginning in 1922 a Pulitzer Prize has been awarded for Editorial Cartooning. This year Mark Fiore whose animated editorial cartoons appear exclusively on the web won the first Pulitzer for this genre of editorial cartooning.

I especially admire my cousin Elena Mary for starting Making Change.

Q: Tell us something about your process of creating.
The creative process always has been and remains a total mystery to me. I don't know where it comes from or how it gets here but I'm grateful that it does. Making pictures may be my greatest pleasure. Be it drawing, painting, or now, with computer technology, having fun with Photoshop.

Q: What is the name of your etsy shop?
http://www.etsy.com/shop/EdFrascino

right: Ed Frascino, "Nuke'em"

Interview with Dave Miller

2010-04-21T08:22:00.000-07:00

Dave Miller, "Inequality Gives Us Something to Aspire To"

Q: The MAKING CHANGE Etsy team is for artists committed to activism. Please tell us what issues are important to you.

My work tends to be critical and political, and a lot of it is social commentary I suppose. I also seem to have a campaigning and troublemaking aspect to my work. I always try to make work that is informed and researched, and I aim to give a balanced approach. I've become very angry and fixated recently on the whole financial scandal that we're currently immersed in, and the injustice that we've all been handed by our governments and their masters, the banks. My work always has its core stories and drawings, though I like to work in a range of media, from Net Art to booklets and comics/cartoons.

Dave Miller, "Paying for the Privilege"

Q: How is the idea of activism apparent in your art?

I think with the subjects I deal with, and way I approach them. I want to reach a lot of people, and inform them about things, to make people think and question. Mass market appeals to me, and I'm not comfortable with galleries, which I find generally elitist and not enough people see the work that way. I've started the Etsy shop recently, which I'm still not really sure is an appropriate place for my work - my low sales figures seem to back this up - but at least I think I can show my work to a lot of people that way. I think I need to be handing out leaflets really - pamphleting maybe - as this seems to be a more suitable way of spreading political messages, and more hands on. I'm just a bit scared of doing this!

Q: Do you think political and environmental issues can be effectively addressed in art?

Yes, as long as the work isn't political for the sake of it, and also if it's informed and balanced. I think integrity is important.

Q: Which artists do you admire who have an activist agenda?

I'm a big fan of Net Art, and am active in online communities such as Netbehaviour and Rhizome. There are many artists in this area I admire, such as Marc Garrett, Heath Bunting, Jason Nelson, and many more. Outside of Net Art there are also so many artists I like, but tend to forget their names quickly I must admit. I like Jeremy Deller, some bits of Emily Prince and Grayson Perry. I recently discovered Jess Douglas, who does lovely urban drawings. I always liked Jenny Holzer. I think the attitude is more important than the posturing, if you see what I mean. I like some of Banksy's work, but I think a lot of the street art thing is a bit phony, especially when it's bought by rich people and sells for lots of money. I'm in general very fond of digital art, so the old work of Harold Cohen I find very inspiring.

Q: Tell us something about your process of creating.

Mostly I write down ideas and brainstorms in my note books, and write lists of things to do, most of which never get done. But sometimes old ideas mix with new ones. I try to make something every day, and often planning goes out of the window, as usually I'm roused by a rush of passion or anger, with an urgent need to make something. Then I make it fast, usually drawing directly on the computer, and usually based on drawings or found photos.

Q: What is the name of your etsy shop?

http://www.etsy.com/shop/visualstories

At right: Dave Miller, "Trickle Down Hope"

MAKING CHANGE TREASURY

2010-04-19T16:37:00.000-07:00

http://www.etsy.com/treasury/de24b47b9d25c94b23ff0900/making-change-teamA Treasury for the MAKING CHANGE ETSY TEAM: All of these artists will be interviewed on this blog..Follow us!!!

First Interview with Penny Richards

2010-04-08T09:06:00.000-07:00

[visual description: a backpack painted bright orange, black, and white, with images of a performer from a 1913 suffrage pageant, and "Votes for Women" in a small half-moon at center]

Q: Please tell us what issues are important to you.
disability rights, feminism, public education, community arts, the environment

Q: How is the idea of activism apparent in your art? Do you think political and environmental issues can be effectively addressed in art?

Well I try! The goal of my purses, which mostly have themes from women's history, is to spur conversations. A purse is something personal, but it's also something public and visible. I know, from carrying my own bags, that they invite questions and comments, and they open opportunities to explain and talk about women's activism. Because the purses are also "upcycled," each one is from a thriftshop and would likely have landed in the landfill. Each one serves as a reminder that other things can be remade--we don't need so much new boring mass-produced stuff when we can turn something old into something unique and wonderful.

Which artists do you admire who have an activist agenda?

Wow, okay, this is going to be an interesting group! Alex Chiu, a young artist here in Southern California, has a real passion for building community and collaboration. The Australian fiber artist Prudence Mapstone works with such joy and the kind of eclectic gathering of materials I like to see in any medium. And I'm going to draw from history to add Hannah Frank (1908-2008), a Scottish artist who made striking art-nouveau prints mainly featured in local community newsletters, programs, and other small publications--but before she died at 100, she got to see them appreciated and recognized more widely. Also want to add Helen Carter to my favorite makers/artists--she makes these amazing recycled-fabric garments, for a wide range of bodies, and she's a wiz at using Flickr and Etsy to share her work.

[visual description: a purse painted turquoise, featuring the image of suffragist Susan Walker Fitzgerald and a 1908 quote by her, "...so long as the men alone are the source of power of the government, it is not a government of the people, for the people, and by the people. It is not a democracy."]

Q: Tell us something about your process of creating.

There's no mystery here: I posted a tutorial in case anyone wants to try for themselves. I thriftshop enough to have a stock of purses to play with. Usually I paint them first--without really knowing what their eventual subject will be. Then I search my favorites from the Flickr Commons project for some cool no-known-copyright images that have the right size, shape, and story for the bag--each bag is different, so this is always a new hunt. Some images work best in duplicate, or very cropped, or otherwise working with the features of the bag. I usually also add a cartouche explaining who the subject is. After the image is fixed to the bag, I start playing with inks and sharpies and more paint, adding details. There are a lot of layers of modpodge all along, and I usually have a few bags in progress at any given time.

[visual description: a bag painted yellow and orange, with a 1921 image of French chemist Irene Joliot-Curie at center, in academic regalia]

Q: What is the name of your etsy shop?

Pennamite. It's an 18th century word for a person from Pennsylvania (where I grew up), and a play on my name. And except for references to the Pennamite-Yankee Wars, it's pretty googleable. ;)

MAKING CHANGE artists for change

2010-04-06T16:11:00.000-07:00

I was recently granted a 3 month residency at 18th. Street Arts Center in Santa Monica, CA. for Oct/Nov/Dec 2010.
http://www.18thstreet.org/

I will open a shop called MAKING CHANGE in their project room and will feature the art of Los Angeles area artists who work with a political/environmental/social focus. The scope of the project will actually be international as I recently started an ETSY team called MAKING CHANGE which includes artists and craftspeople who work with an activist agenda. I intend to use this blog as an interview site for the artists of the MAKING CHANGE ETSY team which I hope will expand as my residency approaches. I will promote the MAKING CHANGE ETSY team members throughout my residency:

Making Change

Name: Making Change

Profile: Goal of Making Change is to promote a progressive activist agenda:
shops with an obviously political, social or environmental message.

Links:

Yahoo Group

Contact:

Elenamary

How to Join: send a convo to elenamary
Members: A4DS, Andyeatsonlycandy, ArtForChange, arttoweardiva, confluencebooks, crazyartdolls, doulahara, earthplusart, EdFrascino, Elenamary, KMStitchery, localcolorist, neitherland, Pennamite, SnakeBathDance, susanhall, visualstories

http://team.etsy.com/viewteam.php?id=730

Here is an explanation of my project and with the next blog post I will begin the interviews:
http://www.18thstreet.org/StatusReport/StatusReport_index.html