Art and Activism

Can political art change the world? History and current examples show that it can.

Art and artworks act as platforms for conveying messages and facts that can be difficult to communicate through traditional mediums. Art has always been a powerful tool for expression, but in recent years, it has taken on a new role as a form of activism.

As the world has become increasingly divided, art provides a voice for those who are struggling to be heard. By bringing attention to important issues, art and activism can spark conversation and create change. It can also touch people at a deeper emotional level, conveying what cannot be said with simple facts. It has the power to bring us together and show us that we are not alone.

In a world where we are bombarded with information from all sides, art provides a much-needed space for reflection and introspection. In a world that often feels disconnected and chaotic, art provides a much-needed sense of connection and calm.

Panel Discussion: Bruce Helander, Rhonda Long-Sharp, Daniel Palmer and Art Activist Ted Riederer

This panel led by artist, writer and critic Bruce Helander and including contemporary gallerist Rhonda Long-Sharp, curator Daniel S. Palmer, who is involved in Public Art Fund's upcoming exhibition with Ai Weiwei, Good Fences Make Good Neighbors, and art activist Ted Riederer, will discuss how art touches people at deeper emotional levels, conveying what cannot be said with simple facts.

This session took place live during the Symposium at Art New York.

Download the presentation here.

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Speakers

Ted Riederer

Ted Riederer (b. 1970, New York, NY) has armed himself with painting supplies, electric guitars, amplifiers, record players, drum kits, photography equipment, and long-stemmed roses while ambling from the Americas to the Antipodes. His work has been shown internationally, including exhibitions at MoMA PS1, Prospect 1.5, Go and Rosenthal Berlin, Nicole Klagsbrun Gallery, Jack Hanley Gallery,...

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Rhonda Long-Sharp

After a successful 20+ year legal career defending men and women on death row in the highest courts of the US, art enthusiast and collector Rhonda Long-Sharp decided to formally pursue her passion for the arts in 2005. Beginning as both an art consultant and modern art broker, Long-Sharp specialized in post-war and contemporary multiples and works on paper. Recognizing the internet’s inherent...

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Daniel S. Palmer

Daniel S. Palmer is currently an Associate Curator at the Public Art Fund where he has curated exhibitions including Liz Glynn’s Open House, and Commercial Break, an exhibition of digital video and photography by 23 artists exhibited on advertising screens in all five boroughs. Previously, as the Leon Levy Assistant Curator at the Jewish Museum, New York, Palmer...

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Bruce Helander

Bruce Helander is a former White House Fellow of the National Endowment for the Arts and is the former Editor-in-Chief of The Art Economist magazine. His columns on art, values, and investing in art appear regularly in The Huffington Post.

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