Art activism

Examining culture as an outlet for advocacy

Northeastern demonstrates the necessity of art on campus

Northeastern University is renowned for its engineering studies and research development as demonstrated through the opening of the new state-of-the-art interdisciplinary science and engineering complex during fall semester 2017. However, the community’s artistic energy has emerged within the campus.

President Aoun launched the public art initiative in 2014 striving to showcase Northeastern’s creative side by treating the campus as a canvas. This initiative has introduced work by teachers, students, alumni, as well as famous artists and overall a sense of unity.

The campus now is a canvas to about 15 different artworks “proving that art need not be contained by four walls”, according to Northeastern’s Center for the Art. To some students it is also a way of validation that their studies and ideas are an integral part of the university’s overall community as part of the College of Arts, Media and Design (CAMD).

“I love looking at the mural in Centennial or the stencils by Jeff Aérosol around campus because it feels like a game trying to find them all,” said Hope Luria, a graphic design student in CAMD. “It is cool to have art not only by famous artists like [Shepard] Fairey and El Mac but also by students and teachers. It makes art feel important on campus by adding more life and color.”

MassArt holds public drawing event at gallery for therapeutic drawing

MassArt has been holding a weekly group drawing event on Wednesdays in the Bakalar & Paine Galleries. Facilitated by professionals, MassArt provided space and supplies for the community to express their emotions through therapeutic drawing. The event ended this week, holding their last gathering on Wednesday March 1st.

Q&A with Jennifer Maravillas, New York based artist who creates “protest bandanas”

In a small apartment in Brooklyn, Jennifer Maravillas, a 33 year-old artist, works continuously on her artwork with her cat alongside, as her main companion for the day. Maravillas has a new gained confidence for making advocacy art after her artwork was chosen as one of five posters to represent the Women’s March that took place around the nation and world on Saturday Jan. 21st. “It’s amazing. Even when it was first announced as a competition of women all around the country; submitting art just made me feel awesome to be part of the marches in that way,” she told me through the phone.

She mentioned that I was one of her first conversations of the day with a human since she had been busy all day creating a poster for a rally against the Muslim-ban and immigration order happening later that night on Feb. 1st.  While making posters is a simple way for Maravillas to be actively involved, she is artistically venturing out by creating “protest bandanas” highlighting different civil rights movements.