An Argument for More Creative Voices in Politics

Good morning. 🌧 Today, some "bad beuys" stole an artwork, Spain appears to be the global epicenter of

Nov 12, 2020 • View in browser

Good morning. 🌧 Today, some “bad beuys” stole an artwork, Spain appears to be the global epicenter of botched art restorations, and the wonky joy (my term, not the author’s) of late Clyfford Still.– Hrag Vartanian, editor-in-chief

We Need More Creatives in Politics

Jonathan Gardenhire, “Self Portrait” (2020) Credit: (image courtesy the artist)

In a new opinion piece, cultural worker Melissa Saenz Gordon argues for more creative voices in politics.She writes:Contemporary artists and cultural workers are at the forefront of today’s leading issues. Creative types are an untapped group of exciting potential political candidates who are equipped with the lived and professional experience that would benefit public service and policy.

SPONSORED

In Other NewsThe nation’s first memorial celebrating Native American veterans – located on the east side of the National Museum of the American Indian in DC – marks a major step forward in the recognition of their service. After a series of painfully botched amateur restorations that produced outcomes like a “Beast Jesus” and a Virgin Mary dressed with makeup, another restoration project in Spain has gone terribly wrong. Three members of an anonymous collective called the Frankfurter Hauptschule reportedly stole a multiple by Joseph Beuys and took it on a joyride to Tanzania to make a statement about repatriation.

SPONSORED Anita Shapolsky Gallery Presents Off The Wall The exhibition features a unique collection of sculptures and paintings by Abstract Expressionists and contemporary expressionist artists, on view through January 8, 2021.

Latest Reviews

The Met Museum Misses the Mark in Recounting Its Own Complicated History Making the Met, the anniversary exhibition chronicling the museum’s first 150 years, botched several opportunities to truly reckon with its role in defining who is and isn’t included in dominant narratives of art history. Daniel Larkin

The Little-known, Refreshingly Vulnerable Works of Clyfford Still’s Final Years The Late Works: Clyfford Still in Maryland offers a historical pivot by focusing on the last 20 years of the artist’s life, revealing his most productive period and foregrounding work that is rarely discussed. Kealey Boyd

SPONSORED The Latest Issue of Unlikely Journal for Creative Arts, “Translating Ambiance,” Is Now Online In the transdisciplinary journal’s sixth issue, artists and scholars explore how atmospheres and rhythms shape our perceptions of and relationships with the world.

More from Hyperallergic

The Failure of Arts Organizations to Move Toward Racial Equity As a field, we’ve waited far too long for these institutions to get on board. So now the call is for us: Black, Indigenous, and People of Color artists, leaders, and the organizations that serve us. Quanice Floyd

Strategies for Embracing the Fabulously Mundane A self-avowed pleasure activist, writer and professor Sami Schalk is building a project that revels in taking simple yet transformative steps towards feeling good, while rejecting ableist frameworks. Dessane Lopez Cassell

SPONSORED Five Philadelphia Projects Connect to Community With Temple Contemporary's Added Velocity Award APIARY, Black Quantum Futurism, Creative Resilience Collective, Grizzly Grizzly, and the Reentry Think Tank received $15,000 each as part of the regranting initiative.

From the Archives

Paying a Visit to the Museum of Death My favorite room is the world’s largest collection of art made by serial killers. Jack Sjogren

SPONSORED Introducing SOUND/STAGE, a New Media Initiative by the LA Philharmonic Developed Exclusively for Streaming The online concert film series features music by Gustavo Dudamel, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, and guest artists as well as poems, essays, and more.

Most Popular

The World Got Its First Memorial to Feminist Giant Mary Wollstonecraft … and It’s a Tiny Female Nude The Met Museum Misses the Mark in Recounting Its Own Complicated History A Sprawling Online Art and Craft Fair Where All Sales Go to the Artists Watch All the Year’s Best Documentaries in One Place A Statue of Leonard Peltier, Leader of 1970s American Indian Movement, Is Overlooking Alcatraz

Support Hyperallergic As arts communities around the world experience a time of challenge and change, accessible, independent reporting on these developments is more important than ever. Please consider supporting our journalism, and help keep our independent reporting free and accessible to all. Become a Member

Did you enjoy this issue?

Update your email preferences or unsubscribe from this newsletter. If you were forwarded this newsletter and you like it, you can subscribe here. Hyperallergic Media 181 N 11th St., Suite 302, Brooklyn, NY 11211