Katie Klabusich

Host

Creative Social Justice

Aug 29, 2014·1,893 visitors

Megan Smith

Cohost

Stage· 138 messages

Aug 29, 2014

Can art change the world? Megan Smith, creator of the Repeal Hyde Art Project (http://on.fb.me/1p1Pykj), is joining me to talk about why we both think the answer is yes and how to use your talents for social justice!nCheck out Megan's recent reprojustice piece included in the "Police Brutality Kit" --> http://bit.ly/1p1PEIN <-- & this interview w/ artist/activist Molly Crabapple --> http://bit.ly/1p1PalZ <-- to get inspired and we'll see you at the chat!

Katie Klabusich · 12:00 AM

Hi, everyone! Thanks for coming to “Creative Social Justice!” (ProTip: there’s a mobile app — http://bit.ly/1pmkGhY )

Katie Klabusich · 12:00 AM

Real quick, if you’re new to Tawkers, Megan and I will be chatting on the left. And if you’re signed in (only takes two minutes to set up a profile!), you can add comments/questions on the right. Interrupt any time!

Katie Klabusich · 12:01 AM

Also, definitely use the “arrow” icons to share comments on social media so people you know will be into the discussion can join.

Katie Klabusich · 12:01 AM

★ Spotlighted from phi hao

“Hi”

Katie Klabusich · 12:01 AM

★ Spotlighted from bay boy

“Hi”

Katie Klabusich · 12:01 AM

Before we start, my tawks are a safe space. Ask questions, share — but no abusive language will be tolerated. If you need to mute someone, click the “ … “ under the thumbs in their comment or click on their profile.

Katie Klabusich · 12:02 AM

With the disclaimers out of the way, let’s start “Creative Social Justice!” Thanks so much for joining me, Megan!

Megan Smith · 12:02 AM

Thanks for having me!

Katie Klabusich · 12:02 AM

I'm so excited you could do this.

Katie Klabusich · 12:03 AM

Especially as a newlywed.

Katie Klabusich · 12:03 AM

*\o/*

Katie Klabusich · 12:04 AM

If folks haven't see the Repeal Hyde Art Project, you should check it out on FB/Twitter/website: https://www.facebook.com/RepealHyde

Katie Klabusich · 12:06 AM

Tech issue: in case anyone uses Chrome, sometimes that browser isn't super compatible with Tawkers and the page doesn't update automatically. Currently switching Megan over. <cue jeopardy music>

Katie Klabusich · 12:07 AM

It's how I best know your work and probably how a lot of the people in the chat do as well. Can you tells us a little bit about it and how it got started?

Megan Smith · 12:08 AM

Sure! I started the Project in 2011 as a way to create dialogue and awareness about the Hyde Amendment, which blocks people from being able to use Medicaid to pay for abortions.

Megan Smith · 12:09 AM

I'm an artist, and so I was also interested in using art as a tool to accomplish that. I designed a paper bird that says "Repeal Hyde" on the front and asked people to write a message about why they thought Hyde should be repealed on the back.

Katie Klabusich · 12:10 AM

Giving the Hyde Amendment the literal bird. SO AWESOME.

Megan Smith · 12:10 AM

I had them mail them in to me. I thought it was going to be one singular installation for Hyde's 35th anniversary, but I ended up getting hundreds of submissions and took it to a bunch of other conferences/college campuses, etc that year.

Katie Klabusich · 12:10 AM

People who follow me on social media are familiar with the bird -- I post a lot of them with various reproductive justice phrases. :]

Megan Smith · 12:11 AM

Ha! Yes. I am also experimenting with how to continue the idea of participatory education and dialogue in an online space, which is still part of what I'm playing around with now.

Katie Klabusich · 12:11 AM

Here's the link to the "Repeal Hyde" bird I really love: http://on.fb.me/1vTykvj

Megan Smith · 12:11 AM

All of the images are free to use and share, so please do.

Katie Klabusich · 12:11 AM

That's amazing. I think art really allows for not just expression of ideas, but space for people to respond to new concepts.

Katie Klabusich · 12:12 AM

It can break down walls people aren't aware they carry with them.

Megan Smith · 12:13 AM

Yeah, I agree completely. Part of the reason that I picked this (and the bird image as well) was to creatively engage with people who otherwise wouldn't have been exposed to or participated in these kinds of conversations.

Katie Klabusich · 12:13 AM

I think it's brilliant. The fastest way to get an idea or issue around reproductive justice shared for me has been to include one of your images.

Katie Klabusich · 12:13 AM

People really respond!

Megan Smith · 12:14 AM

The first time that I did an installation it was in a hotel, and there were folks from other conferences and hotel guests walking by it, and all it looked like was a wall of birds. People stopped to look at them just because it was beautiful.

Megan Smith · 12:14 AM

It gave me the opportunity to tell them what it meant.

Katie Klabusich · 12:14 AM

That's so amazing.

Katie Klabusich · 12:14 AM

How do people (in person, first) respond to the art when they discover it has purposeful meaning and intent?

Megan Smith · 12:15 AM

I think they respond in all sorts of ways, similar to when you bring up something like abortion in any sort of conversational context.

Megan Smith · 12:15 AM

I haven't had anyone say anything too offensive, but people have certainly walked away or not wanted to engage.

Megan Smith · 12:15 AM

But then there are of course other people who are very impacted, who you wouldn't expect.

Megan Smith · 12:16 AM

Sometimes I have the installations up and running without me there, and I just let people decorate and put up birds. I did one a few years ago at this college campus and I received the most heartfelt letter on the back of a bird from this woman.

Megan Smith · 12:16 AM

She told this story about her sister. It was incredible.

Megan Smith · 12:17 AM

And I felt so honored to have given her the space to share it.

Katie Klabusich · 12:17 AM

It's the stories -- they'll break and heal your heart for sure.

Katie Klabusich · 12:17 AM

Stories are sometimes so much easier to share when you have art as a backdrop.

Megan Smith · 12:17 AM

And she just hung it on the wall with the other ones from that day. I hope that it was meaningful for her, not only to be able to release that, but to know that there were these wall of other people behind her who cared.

Katie Klabusich · 12:18 AM

Why did you pick the bird specifically?

Katie Klabusich · 12:18 AM

You've hit on so many metaphors for it, it seems impossibly perfect and simple somehow.

Megan Smith · 12:19 AM

I picked the bird for a couple of reasons. I wanted to pick an image that was positive - I'm not a big fan of the coat hanger - I wanted something that felt like we could be optimistic and hope for future change.

Megan Smith · 12:19 AM

That kind of goes hand in hand with wanting to honor the resistance and resilience of people who have overcome Hyde. They have overcome immeasurable barriers and yet they have done it.

Megan Smith · 12:20 AM

Finally, I also like the idea of each bird being individual but that we're all flying together.

Katie Klabusich · 12:20 AM

Agreed. I really love everything about it.

Katie Klabusich · 12:20 AM

I especially love that you don't stick to just Hyde with the project.

Katie Klabusich · 12:21 AM

If people haven't seen it, this piece -- http://on.fb.me/1vTyfaV -- in response to the killing of Mike Brown was so powerful and it's been picked up and used a lot since you posted it.

Megan Smith · 12:21 AM

Yes! That is new for me. I've been uncomfortable with people labeling me as a reproductive justice activist when I feel like I have only really worked on abortion access. So I am trying to be more responsible and more intersectional in my work.

Katie Klabusich · 12:22 AM

In case people on mobile devices can't open the link, the words say: ""You deserve to parent your child without fear that he or she will be hurt or killed. Freedom from violence is reproductive justice."

Katie Klabusich · 12:23 AM

As a clinic escort I have felt a lot of support from your project and have heard the same from groups around the country, so I'd say your branching out is definitely being noticed and appreciated!

Megan Smith · 12:23 AM

I think often as people who have worked in organizations that stick to conventional "messaging" on your issues we get stuck in a rut of feeling like we can't talk about other things that are just as important.

Katie Klabusich · 12:23 AM

Truth.

Megan Smith · 12:24 AM

In creating that piece about Michael Brown and Ferguson, I really was just feeling such overwhelming sadness, and I felt like I just needed to make something.

Megan Smith · 12:25 AM

To somehow channel what I was feeling into that image. To start healing.

Megan Smith · 12:25 AM

And I think I need to trust that piece of me a bit more.

Megan Smith · 12:25 AM

But that's what's fun about being an artist - you're constantly exploring and growing.

Katie Klabusich · 12:25 AM

It's really hard to articulate that sadness. Your work and other artists doing their work is healing for so many who can't express how they're feeling.

Katie Klabusich · 12:25 AM

Totally!

Katie Klabusich · 12:25 AM

★ Spotlighted from Christine Salek

“I definitely feel restricted sometimes. And the Mike Brown piece you did, along with articles written about it, really opened up that aspect of repro justice for me.”

Katie Klabusich · 12:26 AM

Totally! I love how accessible the work is -- it's just right there to use and post! And the Zazzle store makes me happy just perusing it... ;) http://bit.ly/1vrCkG5

Megan Smith · 12:26 AM

Thanks, Christine. Yeah, the image was also definitely influenced by a lot of amazing and powerful writing from feminists of color in response to Ferguson.

Katie Klabusich · 12:27 AM

Your abortion facts graphics have been super helpful too.

Megan Smith · 12:27 AM

(The RJ posters aren't up yet on the store. They are in the works!)

Katie Klabusich · 12:27 AM

Hooray! You have done some great ones on access to care despite immigration/incacertation status, etc.

Megan Smith · 12:28 AM

Yeah, I'm hoping that I can help further conversation in multiple areas. And that the images will get to and resonate with people who haven't thought about or learned about a particular issue previously.

Katie Klabusich · 12:29 AM

How do we encourage young artists to use their work in a social justice context?

Megan Smith · 12:31 AM

Well, I think a lot of people already are. Especially a lot of young people. With artists like Favianna Rodriguez, Melanie Cervantes, Micah Bazant, many more showing their work digitally online, I think young people are seeing "political" art.

Megan Smith · 12:31 AM

And making it!

Katie Klabusich · 12:31 AM

Awesome!!

Katie Klabusich · 12:32 AM

I just always worry with school budget cuts to the arts that we could lose the next generation of brilliant voices.

Megan Smith · 12:32 AM

I don't feel like I should tell anyone what to make or how to make it. But I do think that if social issues are something that you care about as an artist you shouldn't feel like political art is somehow less valuable than painting.

Katie Klabusich · 12:32 AM

★ Spotlighted from ali neno

“Hi”

Megan Smith · 12:34 AM

Oh for sure. I worry about that too. I don't think we value art and artists in our society. It's hard to teach kids that making art can be meaningful and valuable.

Katie Klabusich · 12:34 AM

Totally! What can the non-arts-plugged in folks do to encourage the work and possibly even support it? I think most of us don't know where to find it if it isn't put in front of our faces.

Megan Smith · 12:35 AM

There is so much good stuff out there! And so many ways to support it! The good news is that artists are all mostly selling art, so it's quite easy to support them.

Megan Smith · 12:36 AM

If you're looking for some folks to get behind, I might start with some collectives like Dignidad Rebelde, JustSeeds, and Culture Strike.

Katie Klabusich · 12:37 AM

Awesome! I know I always feel sort of insecure attempting to look for art things.

Katie Klabusich · 12:38 AM

What's great about social justice focused art for me is that I feel like I know something about the subject and easily connect to it.

Katie Klabusich · 12:38 AM

(or more easily anyway)

Megan Smith · 12:39 AM

You're not the only one who feels insecure! But you shouldn't. You should feel very secure. Artists love people seeking out and looking at their stuff, that's why it's there!

Katie Klabusich · 12:39 AM

I'm not sure how it is that art can simultaneously break down walls yet make the uninitiated feels insecure.

Katie Klabusich · 12:40 AM

I think that's what makes the online work so fantastic.

Katie Klabusich · 12:40 AM

It's easier to see it in context and pressure free.

Katie Klabusich · 12:40 AM

Often you can engage with the artist on social media as well.

Megan Smith · 12:41 AM

I think part of it is also that the "art world" is very different from art. That way of feeling like you don't "get it" is a response to a highly structured way of being socialized to art. I don't buy it.

Megan Smith · 12:41 AM

Also of note: I just remembered that I have a public list of artists that I follow on Twitter if anyone is interested.

Katie Klabusich · 12:41 AM

Molly Crabapple was, I think, the first accessible artist who's name and work and interviews I heard. She sidesteps that highly structured thing you referenced.

Katie Klabusich · 12:42 AM

Oh, yah!

Katie Klabusich · 12:42 AM

If people don't know Molly's stuff you can find her here: http://bit.ly/1vrEu8s The Gitmo stuff really gets me. She was allowed in and did some amazing work.

Megan Smith · 12:43 AM

Definitely. I think more and more we are challenging the Western definition and assumptions about what art is. I think graffiti, street art, and digital art have also all helped to start shifting that narrative.

Megan Smith · 12:43 AM

Her work is amazing.

Katie Klabusich · 12:43 AM

For sure on the changing narrative.

Katie Klabusich · 12:44 AM

The requirement that people be "Professionally" a thing -- art, writing, etc -- is fading.

Katie Klabusich · 12:45 AM

There's more space being created for the average person with a talent or a passion.

Katie Klabusich · 12:45 AM

(A thing most other cultures have had like forever but we did not so well with in this country.)

Megan Smith · 12:46 AM

Yeah, that's a tough one for me, because I don't believe in the art world, but I also respect people who make the things they love and can make money from it. I have trouble separating the idea from the structure we're in.

Megan Smith · 12:46 AM

(As I do with everything and capitalism.)

Katie Klabusich · 12:46 AM

Agreed.

Katie Klabusich · 12:46 AM

Definitely people should make a living at their art. It's when we assign relevance to ONLY the people who are able to support themselves on it that it becomes problematic.

Megan Smith · 12:46 AM

There was a really good conversation about this that I was just reading today on Twitter from DarkMatter.

Katie Klabusich · 12:47 AM

That's when you get all the exclusion and entry requirements that lead to so many voices being left out.

Megan Smith · 12:47 AM

https://storify.com/DarkMatterRage/stopart-thoughts-on-the-art-industrial-complex

Megan Smith · 12:47 AM

Definitely worth a read.

Katie Klabusich · 12:47 AM

Great! Thanks for sharing!

Katie Klabusich · 12:47 AM

#CancelIndustrialComplexes

Megan Smith · 12:47 AM

Absolutely. And then we suddenly have a justification for determining what art is acceptable and valued and what art is not.

Katie Klabusich · 12:48 AM

Yes. Entry tests make me twitchy.

Katie Klabusich · 12:48 AM

That's part of what makes your project(s) so fantastic.

Katie Klabusich · 12:48 AM

They're super accessible and relevant and also real, physical constructs in that "art world" way.

Megan Smith · 12:49 AM

Yeah, I started it in the beginning with the goal of making it usable and accessible to anyone. I don't want it to just be mine. I want you to print it and use it if it is meaningful for you.

Megan Smith · 12:49 AM

(But still buy something from my Zazzle store.)

Katie Klabusich · 12:49 AM

Hahaha -- exactly.

Katie Klabusich · 12:49 AM

That also makes people who like your work feel like they can support it.

Megan Smith · 12:49 AM

(Only until we dismantle capitalism.)

Katie Klabusich · 12:50 AM

Most of us see supporting art as a thing (obviously) only rich people can afford.

Katie Klabusich · 12:50 AM

Having professional work that we can get our hands on is spectacular.

Katie Klabusich · 12:50 AM

Or WEAR on our hands or other places -- I'm still toying with the tattoo b/c monetary delays. ;)

Megan Smith · 12:51 AM

Right! It still carries this "art world" tone for sure. It's not a world I want to be in, and I'm sure it's not a world that I'm betting most people who want to support art want to be in either.

Megan Smith · 12:51 AM

Love it. Please tattoo the bird on yourself. I will add your photo to my album on my Facebook page.

Megan Smith · 12:51 AM

That being said though, I do think it's worth noting that there are professional artists who are doing incredible things within the traditional art context too.

Katie Klabusich · 12:52 AM

I love that you have a tattoo picture photo album. <squee>!

Katie Klabusich · 12:52 AM

Of course. (disclaimer)

Katie Klabusich · 12:52 AM

The issue is when people don't see work from outside that space as relevant.

Megan Smith · 12:53 AM

When I think about how much dialogue came out of Kara Walker's most recent work of the sugar sculpture, I am so moved. Angered and upset, and moved.

Katie Klabusich · 12:53 AM

Yeah, even us art ignorant folks hear about that.

Katie Klabusich · 12:54 AM

**heard

Megan Smith · 12:54 AM

But I think there are also people like Kara Walker, Faith Ringgold, and of course the Guerrilla Girls, etc who have been pushing for diverse perspectives within traditional contexts (and have been doing so for a long time.)

Megan Smith · 12:55 AM

I think there are people pushing to change the definition of "acceptable" art in different ways and in different contexts.

Katie Klabusich · 12:55 AM

It's frustrating that those voices aren't just recognized. Continually having to push into spaces makes me sigh. Good!

Katie Klabusich · 12:55 AM

That's a positive note to finish up on.

Megan Smith · 12:56 AM

Ha! You're welcome.

Katie Klabusich · 12:56 AM

We've got a lot of folks listening, so anything you want to tell people that we missed about Repeal Hyde?

Katie Klabusich · 12:56 AM

(Do the plugs!)

Katie Klabusich · 12:56 AM

Obviously follow Megan on Twitter: @RepealHydeArtPr

Megan Smith · 12:57 AM

Follow me on Twitter, check out my Facebook: Repeal Hyde Art Project. Check out my Zazzle store and website at repealhydeartproject.org. And make sure you stay tuned for an announcement about the RJ posters coming out!

Katie Klabusich · 12:58 AM

Amazing! Thanks so much for taking the time to chat with me about art and social justice!

Megan Smith · 12:58 AM

Thanks so much for having me, Katie!