Art as Activism
by Jacqueline Dobbins (‘16)
One stroke of a paintbrush or the wave of a can of spray paint can change the world.
That’s the message delivered during the Artists 4 Israel event that took place
in April of this year. Students, faculty, staff, and members of the community joined
professional artists for a day of creation and discussion.
Prior to a panel discussion featuring members of Artists 4 Israel, campus and community members joined artists in the creation of a mural. The primary goal of these artists, and of Artists 4 Israel in general, is to educate the world and elevate art into a method of activism.
Artists 4 Israel is a nonprofit organization and artist collective founded in 2009 in reaction to violence and terrorism in the Middle East. Though it focuses on supporting Israel’s artistic freedom and right to peace, its overarching goal uses art to fight for peace in the Middle East as a whole. The organization joined the Westminster community to discuss how art can be, and is being, used as a method of activism.
Artists 4 Israel seeks to teach people that art—in all its forms—can be a powerful tool of social change and ethical awareness. This concept of art as activism is reflected in the work of members of Westminster’s artistic community and in the college’s learning goals.
Numerous artistic events held at Westminster throughout the year are free and open to the public, including the faculty, student, and senior art exhibits. For more information visit westminsteru.edu/culturalevents.
About the Westminster Review
The Westminster Review is Westminster University’s bi-annual alumni magazine that is distributed to alumni and community members. Each issue aims to keep alumni updated on campus current events and highlights the accomplishments of current students, professors, and Westminster alum.
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