Eleven Cooper Union students have barricaded themselves within the school’s Foundation Building clock tower since noon on December 3rd in protest of the administration’s plan to begin charging tuition for graduate studies for the first time in 110 years.
Protest
Posted inArt
Revisiting the Radical Energy of 1968
Currently on view at the Oakland Museum of California is The 1968 Exhibit, which focuses on the culture of that unforgettable year. Organized by the Minnesota History Center, the Atlanta History Center, the Chicago History Museum, and the Oakland Museum, this expansive show explores the tumultuous year whose highlights include human space travel, the assassinations of both Martin Luther King, Jr. and Robert F. Kennedy, the rise of the Black Panthers, the Beatles, and hippie culture, the first wide use of plastics, and many other things.
Posted inOpinion
Occupy Dolce & Gabbana
The internet was atwitter this past month when reports broke of protests at Dolce & Gabbana’s Hong Kong flagship over alleged discrimination.
Posted inNews
Shepard Fairey Designs #OccupyWallStreet Protest Invite
If until now no bold-faced art world names have jumped into the #OccupyWallStreet ring, Shepard Fairey has officially become the first major artist to throw his artistic support behind the protests by designing the invitation to tomorrow’s “The Occupation Party” in Times Square. WNYC’s Brigid Bergin has the full story.
Posted inNews
Stop NYC Mayor Bloomberg from Evicting #OccupyWallStreet [UPDATED: CITY POSTPONES CLEANING]
Take action now! Occupy Wall Street has issued an EMERGENCY CALL TO ACTION in order to stop the city of New York from evicted the protesters from Zuccotti Park under the premise of “cleaning” the park area.
Posted inArt
Some Signs from Day 11 of #OccupyLA
LOS ANGELES — It’s Tuesday, Day 11, and the honeymoon period for Occupy LA seems to have ended. There is much spirited debate about what actions to take and disagreements over how the General Assembly should facilitate discussions. Occupiers who have been around since the beginning are restless from the movement’s week-long dithering while news of conflicts with police in Boston, Seattle and elsewhere have made emotions run high among protesters. Still, the occupation is now 269 tents strong and the amount of creative dissent increases everyday.
Posted inOpinion
A Thought About Art and Protest, or Tonight at Zuccotti Park
I was heartbroken to find the pool of signs gone at Zuccatti Park, yes, they are currently on display at No Comment, the OWS-affiliated art exhibit, but there was something beautiful in that space for art making and signage that made the whole square more human. There are still some other signs to behold but the pond of peoples’ words was my favorite part.
Posted inNews
Art Activism Takes Root at #OccupyLA
LOS ANGELES — Four days into #OccupyLA, a small community is growing near the steps of Los Angeles City Hall, where protesters have set up camp. The site contains first aid and media tents as well as stages for performers and speakers. In the afternoon, some protesters screenprinted clothing while others worked on paintings for a public gallery. The scene in Los Angeles is a flurry of activity with artists working together to build a more visible movement.
Posted inNews
Tension and Theater in the Picket Lines of #OccupyWallStreet
Today I walked the picket line with members of Occupy Wall Street who are in their seventh day of protest against big banks and corporations. As rain clouds darkened, a group of protesters began to assemble and lead the way out of Liberty Plaza, with several cops bringing up the line. Things remained under control and relatively peaceful, but there was plenty of tension in the air.
Posted inNews
A Report from #OccupyWallStreet: Signs & Inspirations
“Today is day 5,” read a sign in the midst of thousands of people camping out at Liberty Plaza yesterday, steps away from Wall Street and the New York Stock Exchange. It’s been a week since the Occupy Wall Street protests have gotten underway, and the protesters are not backing down, pledging to continue on for months if necessary.
Posted inNews
‘Orgy of the Rich’ Protest Hits Sotheby’s
British news sources are reporting that nearly a dozen protesters “set off alarms and threw fake £50 notes in the air at Sotheby’s before unfurling a large banner bearing the words ‘orgy of the rich.'” Another protest outside staged a mock auction of public workers. The actions were in response to the UK government’s proposed cuts to public services and the arts.
Posted inNews
Smithsonian Regents Board Report Waffles on Controversy; Clough Won’t Go [UPDATED]
The Smithsonian Board of Regents met on January 31st with Smithsonian Secretary G. Wayne Clough to discuss the fallout from the recent censorship scandal at the National Portrait Gallery. In its released report, the Board fails to make a strong statement against the censorship but suggests several ways forward for better practice in the future. Secretary Clough isn’t going anywhere.
