As the year wraps up, and we welcome in 2012 with new hopes and resolutions (that quickly fade after three months), one of the prolific movements-that’s still continuing-transformed not only the economy, but also the art world. What is this ongoing event? No other than, Occupy Wall Street. This domestic protest penetrated the art world, which I recently discovered, and is still active under the name Occupy Museums for the art realm. Their mission:
We are artists, writers, curators, and art professionals lending our skills to produce art, cultural events and projects, with a particular focus on OWS itself as a social art process. We work with organizations and artists that require a focused team to facilitate their projects. We produce art projects, large-scale events, and exhibitions.
The beast being tackled through Occupy Museums was sparked by Noah Fischer, to fight the “intense commercialization and co-optation of art.” Being part of the Millennials, the ideas and demands of this transforming society in these arenas are necessary. I remember sitting in class about radical movements, comparing the 60s and 70s timeline to the twenty-first century. I thought about how my generation is complacent, inactive-myself included-just satisfied with what was handed to us. But, with the unexpected rise of unemployment, my peers proved me wrong. To assimilate and express the growing disparities from corporate to arts garners change.
I leave you with these questions for thought. As we enter 2012, what change do you want to see within the arts? What impact are you going to make to see the transformation take place?
-Heather Liggins
