TO ALL THE ART SCHOOLS NOT SHOWCASING THEIR
BIPOC ARTISTS RIGHT NOW:

STOP BEING A PART OF THE PROBLEM

You owe a sincere and profound apology to your BIPOC students. You are willingly lining your pockets with their money as you silence their voices in one of the most significant fights for equal rights our nation has seen. These times are violent and uncertain, but you will gladly take their hard-earned dollars while you refuse to share the activism art they are told you support in solidarity. How dare you hide behind your hashtags and PR statements of unity, while these artists bare their souls for your profit.

ART IS ACTIVISM - in the words of the late Nina Simone, “An artist’s duty, as far as I’m concerned, is to reflect the times. I think that is true of painters, sculptors, poets, musicians. As far as I’m concerned, it’s their choice, but I CHOOSE to reflect the times and situations in which I find myself. That, to me, is my duty. And at this crucial time in our lives, when everything is so desperate, when every day is a matter of survival, I don’t think you can help but be involved. Young people, black and white, know this. That’s why they’re so involved in politics. We will shape and mold this country, or it will not be molded and shaped at all anymore. So I don’t think you have a choice. How can you be an artist and NOT reflect the times? That, to me, is the definition of an artist.”

You load your budgets with staff that is specifically there to showcase where you stand on social media platforms, yet you refuse to share the relevant art being created in real-time from the BIPOC lives you say matter in your public statements to the world. You hide behind the fear of our impactful artistic choices. Violence, blood, and hate are part of a reality that only feels current to you, but to not us. Our pain is reflected in every medium - photography, fine art, music, poetry, graphics, theatre, sculpture, and much more.  You may not hear the sounds of our hearts shattering, daily, as you showcase art that does not reflect the current pain of our community. But we do.

YOUR SILENCE IS COMPLICITY!

Black art has been hidden for too long, it is time to be part of the solution. You say you stand with us in solidarity, so now we are asking that you too,

PUT YOUR MONEY WHERE YOUR MOUTH IS!

We are done with the times that allowed institutions of higher learning to remain neutral. You have participated in sharing your alliance with the BLACK LIVES MATTER movement. You have said to us in emails and public statements that this pain must end for the black community. You are now called upon to follow up those messages with tangible actions that truly support our talents, work, and efforts in our collegiate communities.

THIS IS A CALL FOR ACTION!

BIPOC ART MATTERS

The BIPOC community has settled for far too long. We have sat back politely, waiting to be heard and seen while we see the systematic racism in the art community. We have witnessed the reappropriation of our work while you silence BIPOC artists. Throughout all of history, you have benefited from those who are wealthy and white. These actions are a form of erasure of the true origins of some of the most popular and profound art movements in history. It is your timidity that acts as a censor to the voices of the truly oppressed. This timidity has allowed those with the power to steal our works to reappropriate it into a completely new narrative. Rock and Roll, Blues, Rap, Graffiti, Tribal Dances, Gospel, and more all of it has been devoured and regurgitated by a systematic whitewashing of our culture to inflate and uphold “whiteness.”  This is your chance to make a change. This is your chance to showcase your solidarity truly. This is your chance to remind us why we said YES to attending your institution instead of countless others.

“The public hasn’t been able to engage in that work because of black prejudices and stereotypes. But people want to engage in it. Black art is so powerful and engaging—it just is—and we’re all better for being exposed to it. Somehow it’s been believed that the work of a black artist is not relatable to a white person. Wouldn’t it be beautiful if we could take the race out of it and just allow the experiences to come forth? As human beings, we could see how we fit into that narrative and how much we’re connected and alike rather than how different we are.”  - Myrtis Bedolla

THE TIME IS NOW, AND THE CHANGE STARTS WITH YOU!

You are the minds that will help shape the artists of the future, and it behooves you to share their voices, their pain, their hurt, and their message. We know these conversations are uncomfortable, but we NEED to have them NOW!

SHOW US WHERE YOU TRULY STAND!

Help us change our collegiate communities to be more inclusive of BIPOC by showcasing us in their curriculums.

#SHAREBIPOCART #BLACKARTMATTERS #BLACKLIVESMATTER #ARTISACTIVISM