Abstract
Hoisted, three, four, and even five floors above the street from a scaffolding is not traditionally described as the optimal learning environment for young people. Such a setting, however, was the classroom for a group of Lower East Side youths in New York City in the 1970’s who alongside their teachers were transforming the dreary parking lots, worn-down buildings, and old school yards in their neighborhoods into vibrant community canvases. This youth-based movement was spearheaded by the arts and culture collective, the Basement Workshop, a group of Asian American Movement artists and activists located in the Chinatown neighborhood. Activists implemented a key principle of the movement— “to serve the people” and served the young people of Chinatown by collaborating with local and city organizations to create rich cultural and artistic programming for teens and disadvantaged youths. Muralism represented activists’ central pedagogical mission, to transform teens into community leaders, utilizing intersections, blocks, and alleyways as canvases to convey critical messages concerning social justice and civil rights. From the Chinatown Today mural to Let Our People Grow, muralism acted as an important educational tool harnessing vision, creativity and an activist consciousness.
Presenters
Emily MerrillVisiting Assistant Professor, Art and Art History, Hope College, Michigan, United States
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
The Arts in Social, Political, and Community Life
KEYWORDS
Asian American Movement, Muralism, Public Art, Basement Workshop, Chinatown, NYC
