I’d never heard the term “moral injury” until I read about it last week in a New York Times article about a crisis among doctors precipitated by the accelerating treatment of healthcare as a privilege rather than a right, a profit center rather than a social good. (This phenomenon rhymes with much I’ve written about …
Most of Western culture defines Art by its nouns—its buildings, its ballades and its ballets. The U.S., in particular, is the noun-centric hub of the known universe, so Art is made of things. However, teaching artists are masters of the verbs of art—the things artists do to make those artworks. They are the same verbs …
NOTE: This post is to introduce you to the 27th episode of François Matarasso’s and my monthly podcast, “A Culture of Possibility.” It will be available starting 17 March 2023. You can find it and all episodes at Stitcher, iTunes, and wherever you get your podcasts, along with miaaw.net’s other podcasts by Owen Kelly, Sophie …
NOTE: This post is to introduce you to the 26th episode of François Matarasso’s and my monthly podcast, “A Culture of Possibility.” It will be available starting 17 February 2023. You can find it and all episodes at Stitcher, iTunes, and wherever you get your podcasts, along with miaaw.net’s other podcasts by Owen Kelly, Sophie …
I have been learning so much from painting since I resumed in earnest three years ago after a very long hiatus. (You can read more about how and why here.) The first lesson isn’t about painting per se, but about planning. When I picked up my brush again, I began painting portraits from life as …
Pre-order my forthcoming book: In The Camp of Angels of Freedom: What Does It Mean to Be Educated? for 20% OFF+ FREE SHIPPING (to addresses in the US). Enter code JUSTICE20–FM at checkout! I talk each month to a good friend who’s centrally involved in community-based arts in another country. She has been scanning the …
NOTE: This post is to introduce you to the 10th episode of François Matarasso’s and my monthly podcast, “A Culture of Possibility.” It will be available on 15 October 2021. You can find it and all episodes at iTunes along with miaaw.net’s other podcasts by Owen Kelly, Sophie Hope, and many guests, focusing on cultural …
Where is the boundary between what’s called implicit or unconscious bias—internalizing and enacting beliefs about specific groups without being consciously aware of doing so or the harm it causes—and culturally encoded entitlement, the conviction of having the prerogative—even the duty—to exert authority over others? Hint: the answer definitely can be found on YouTube. We are …
Audre Lorde famously said it, “[T]he master’s tools will never dismantle the master’s house.” She went on: “They may allow us temporarily to beat him at his own game, but they will never enable us to bring about genuine change.” The essay was based on a 1979 panel presentation responding to a feminist movement dominated …
I feel my artworks, to a great degree, they are desires that will never be fulfilled. But that doesn’t impact on what we do manage to do. Just as I feel that the great part of the demand for freedom lies in fighting for it, and not just in it being a goal. I feel …