“When the arts are attacked, democracy is at risk. The arts help us see what is really happening.”
Becky Palmer is with Indivisible Greater Grand Rapids, the local chapter of a nationwide grassroots organization educating the public on current legislation. The group is sponsoring the ArtPrize exhibit, Art of Democracy, featuring 21 artists speaking out against social injustice through their artwork. Sarah Ellis is one of those artists.
“All these pieces say something completely different coming from our own unique perspectives, and that’s something that I feel that everyone coming in to view the art needs to remember.”
The exhibit also focuses on art funding. Along with federal cuts to the National Endowment for the Arts, a budget proposal passed by the Michigan House of Representatives eliminates all state funding for the Michigan Arts and Culture Council, something Palmer says is unacceptable.
“Roads and infrastructure matter, but what good are they if they lead to communities stripped of the arts and culture that give them meaning?”
The exhibition and other events take place now through October 16th at Fountain Street Church.
For a weekly dose of news right to your inbox, sign up for the WGVU newsletter.
