The work of Congolese artist Lucie Kamuswekera, currently on view at Urban Arts Space, raises important questions about the role artmaking can play as a form of activism. How can artwork be a tool to effect change in the way people think or act? What makes for successful activist art, and does the intent of the artist matter in this regard? Questions like these are of particular importance for Black art and artists, both on the African continent and in its Diaspora.
This roundtable will address these questions on both a local and a global level. Its participants will include retired Ohio State professor and artist Dr. Ike Newsum; Marshall Shorts, founder of the Columbus-based Maroon Arts Group; Amina Kassim, a Columbus-based artist; and Dr. Sarah Van Beurden, curator of the Lucie Kamuswekera exhibition. The conversation will be moderated by Dr. Terron Banner of Urban Arts Space.
This event is supported by the Center for African Studies and the Global Arts and Humanities grant on "Conflict and Im/Mobilities."