We should not take public tax dollars away from public services to fund private property on State Street
These are public comments in opposition to 61060 and 60995 currently under review by City of Madison's Economic Development Committee.
Boarded up windows in downtown Madison and on State Street prior to murals.
The politics of temporary murals in response to Black Lives Matter protests
In the weeks following Black Lives Matter protests, murals have popped up all over the country. In particular, murals have appeared on boarded up windows in business districts, like Madison,…
Detail shot of "In Memoriam: Everything We Remember, Everything We Forget."
Stay focused on justice, hold space for nuance
Over 11 weeks after most states announced their #SaferAtHome orders, many things are coming to a head. COVID-19. The ultra wealthy gaining $500 billion more in wealth while 39 million Americans file for unemployment. White violence and police brutality towards the black community. Each of these events was like a flame traveling down a line of gunpowder destined to culminate in an explosion.
Our Renaissance: The World We Imagine
There are two worlds I can imagine after the crisis. The first is the world I fear. The second is the world that I hope for.
Truly Seen: The Value of Cultural Representation
Representation matters. It’s powerful to see yourself in the media, images, and icons that surround you. The more you see yourself, the more likely you are to see diverse stories about who you can be. Read 5 AAPI artists' insights and reflections on how we can expand representation in every field, and what it means to be truly seen.
SBA Disaster Loans and Emergency Grants, Artist’s Edition: What You Need to Know
Do artists qualify for the SBA disaster loan? More importantly, should artists apply? The short answer is yes. Here's what you need to know.
Spring is Here
When I was little, my dad would tell me about what it was like to be a child during China's Great Famine. He told me that he would eat ants off the ground for a brief sensation of what food tasted like, and laugh because in America I didn't have to do that. He always served me first when he cooked, and I wondered if I could ever do that, if being grown-up meant feeding other people first.
Jenie Gao Studio LLC Grand Opening + Gallery Night, photo by Bruce Fritz
Art + Small Business + Coronavirus, A Letter
The creative industry is at a standstill during the coronavirus quarantine. What does this mean for artists? And how can you support your local businesses?
5-Year Anniversary + New Studio Grand Opening
Come join me as we say, we are here to claim space. We are here to cultivate the role of the arts in a community's ecosystem. We are here to define a creative economy that works for all of us.
Art, an Ecosystem Indicator
If we want to talk about an economy as an ecosystem, then consider the arts and humanities as an "indicator." The US arts industry is 88% white, 12% people of color, and almost entirely men regardless of race. Women of color represent half of one percent of arts representation. The arts and humanities are where culture-making happens. So is it much of a surprise that we struggle with a diverse business ecosystem, the same way we struggle with biodiversity in nature when the primary infrastructure is centered on supporting a monoculture lawn?