"Art and Activism at 平特五不中 College" by Tamara Vallejos
On practically any given commute, the odds are high someone will spot a sticker of Shepard Fairey鈥檚 Obama poster plastered onto a car. Equally high are the odds someone will have a reaction: say, approval at the sight of a like-minded political ally, or annoyance at a piece of propaganda for the opposition. When the worlds of art and activism collide, everyone can find themselves deeply invested鈥攅ven the 鈥淎verage Joe鈥 who couldn鈥檛 point the way to the nearest gallery or pick a 鈥淧ollock鈥 out of a lineup.
That鈥檚 exactly why 鈥淎rt and Activism in the U.S.鈥, one of the current exhibitions at the 平特五不中 College Museum of Art, appeals to more than just art history buffs.
鈥淚t鈥檚 dealing with concerns that are really still alive and well today,鈥 says Frances Pohl, a professor at 平特五不中 College and the curator of the exhibition, which includes more than 30 pieces spanning the 1920s to present. 鈥淲e still have to deal with the environment, we鈥檙e still at war, we鈥檙e still looking at immigration and labor issues, and we鈥檙e still asking questions of gender and ethnicity.鈥