Hi PAN Listserv,

See below this week’s listing of resources as we continue to move through this time of change, and through the work of dismantling white supremacists systems to help us all learn and think differently about public art and the policies and practices that make up the field.

We at AFTA are looking at additional ways to support your equity work and welcome resources, ideas, examples and opportunities to share with the field. Please send them to pan@artsusa.org.

Thank you all for your continued work as we all look for ways to make our communities more equitable, healthy and vibrant.

LEARNING RESOURCES:

Event: Jun 24, 8:00p EDT: Art & Activism: A Conversation with Black, Indigenous and Artists of Color hosted by Denver Arts & Venues
“The State Of Race f/ Ruha Benjamin & Mayor Chokwe Lumumba (Episode 1)” video, Greater Jacksonville Arts Council
“Black Fatigue” by Mary-Frances Winters, book pre-order
“Public Art: The Way Forward” video, The Armory Show
“Public Art in the Era of Black Lives Matter, CAA 2017” YouTube, Public Art Dialogue
“Public Art as Political Action” Volume 8, 2018, Public Art Dialogue
“WHOSE HERITAGE? Public Symbols of the Confederacy”, Southern Poverty Law Center
“How Southern socialites rewrote Civil War history” YouTube, Vox
Association for Community Design Resources

REMOVING MONUMENTS:

“Native Americans react to the removal of the Christopher Columbus statue in Houston” video and article, KHOU 11
“Columbus has 3 Columbus statues. This is their fate.” article, News 5 Cleveland
“NC Confederate monuments in ‘secure facility,’ while workers try to remove what’s left” article, The News and Observer
“Confederate statues are coming down following George Floyd's death. Here's what we know” video and article, CNN
“San Francisco Removes Christopher Columbus Statue” article, Patch
“Mayor Breed calls for review of public art after crowds topple 3 historic statues in San Francisco” video, ABC 7 News
“As Columbus statues fall across the country, Easton has no plans to remove its sculpture” article, The Morning Call
“The Christopher Columbus Statue Should Stay. Here's Why” article, WBUR
“Mayor Jim Kenney plans 'public process' to consider future of Columbus statue at Marconi Plaza” article, ABC 6

PUBLIC ART/ARTISTS IN ACTION:

“Symposium Reflections: Learning From Artists In Uncertain Times [VIDEO]” Kenneth Rainin Foundation
“Palo Alto Resolution And Public Art Program Mural For Black Lives Matter” article, Patch
“'This is how we protest': The stories behind 3 new Black Lives Matter murals in Phoenix” article, AZ Central
“Public art, discussion series among Ann Arbor library’s new Black Lives Matter initiatives” article, MLive
“2 Black Lives Matter murals go up in the Las Vegas Arts District” article, Las Vegas Review - Journal
“‘Power to the People’: Detroit Students Preserve This Moment in Paint” article, New York Times
“#VoicesofCLE art installation project giving unheard voices a platform for expression” article, News 5 Cleveland
“Black Lives Matter movement inspires local artists” article, The Blade
“A New Public Art Arises From Floyd Protests” article, WFDD
“Protests Spur a Wave of Public Art” article, URBAN Milwaukee
“Commentary: Public art one way to address Chicago’s history of racism” article, Chicago Tribune

GENERAL NEWS:

“Commentary: There are many fronts to this fight against injustice” blog, The Kresge Foundation
“Amid Protest and Pandemic, Urban Parks Show Their Worth” article, City Lab
“Survey finds stark divisions on race issues in the UK” YouTube, CNN
“'Symbols are powerful things': New Orleans Council readies changes to Confederate street names” article, Nola.com

TAKE ACTION:

Grantmakers in the Arts: Our Call to Funders to Commit to Black Communities Through Action and Investment
Nicole Cardoza, Subscribe to the Anti-Racism Daily. Anti-racism work doesn’t start and end when the protests do. It’s a practice, which means we do it consistently, over time and with vigor. Racism is our default practice. Therefore, we need to consciously commit to practicing anti-racism in all that we do.
Fast Company, Jun 11: Why your #BlackLivesMatter response falls short. We’ve seen companies scrambling to say what Black Lives Matters means to them, but few have taken the time to develop a tangible strategy for authentic and measurable change.
Metro, Jun 8: Don’t turn your back on Black lives when the hashtags fade
Ethnicities releases white paper: Racism, whiteness, and burnout in antiracism movements: How white racial justice activists elevate burnout in racial justice activists of color in the United States
NPR, Jun 7: Beyond Protests: 5 More Ways To Channel Anger Into Action To Fight Racism
The Lily, Jun 8: Real progress takes time. Here are 5 ways activists can keep their stamina up. You cannot pour from an empty cup
Woke@Work: So You Want to Hire an Equity Consultant

INSPIRATION:

"We treat racism in this country like it’s a style that America went through. Like flared legs and lava lamps. Oh, that crazy thing we did. We were hanging black people. We treat it like a fad instead of a disease that eradicates millions of people. You’ve got to get it at a lab, and study it, and see its origins, and see what it’s immune to and what breaks it down."

– Chris Rock, Vulture pulled from “Quotes About Black Lives Matter That Are Powerful, Informative, and Necessary” article, Marie Claire

Thanks for reading. We hope you find this news digest to be a helpful tool to navigate this very complex situation, and welcome feedback at pan@artsusa.org. If you were forwarded this and want to sign up for the Public Art Network listserv to receive it daily, click here.

Patricia Walsh

Public Art and Civic Design Senior Program Manager

Americans for the Arts

1000 Vermont Ave NW 6^th Floor

Washington, DC 20005-4940

202.371.2830 x2024