The Art of Democracy

The project aims to create a dialogue around our democracy as a whole and the current political climate, particularly leading up to the presidential election on November 5. These three exhibitions, located across Western PA, tackle contemporary issues of reproductive freedom, the impact of gun violence, and the growing role of artists in uniting community voices for change. Each features the work of living, regional artists thoughtfully curated into displays and public programs to foster discussion, connection, and contemplation, ultimately demonstrating what a healthy democracy should look like

The Art of Democracy: Whose Choice?

The Art of Democracy: Whose Choice? urges us to mobilize for reproductive freedom with a shared understanding that barriers to full spectrum healthcare disproportionately impact our most marginalized communities. Access to judgment-free reproductive healthcare affects – not just birthing people but – everybody.

Curator: Michaela Blanc
Exhibition Dates: September 12 through October 13, 2024
Venue: Louis L. Manderino Library, PennWest California (250 University Avenue, California, PA 15419)

About the curator

Michaela Blanc is the Wikimedian in Residence at the Pérez Art Museum Miami and a Regional Ambassador at Art+Feminism. Previously, she was a Curatorial Fellow at the MassArt Art Museum (MAAM), a guest curator for the SMFA at Tufts on view at Tufts University Art Galleries in Medford and MassArt Low Residence MFA programs, a juror and Graduate Curatorial Fellow at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, and a curatorial intern at the Institute of Contemporary Art/Boston. Blanc is an alumna of C& Critical Writing Workshop, Dallas (2023). She holds an MA in Museum Studies/Museum Education from Tufts University and a BA in Art History from the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro.

Programs:

The Art of Democracy: Pole-2-Polls & Community Discussion
Date: Tuesday, October 8th
Time: 5:00pm-8:00pm (Workshop drop-in 5-8pm / Discussion 7-8pm)
Free
Venue: Louis L. Manderino Library, PennWest California (250 University Avenue, California, PA 15419

MAKING WORKSHOP: 5-8pm

The Art of Democracy: Whose Choice? exhibiting artist Penny Mateer will lead a making workshop, Pole-2-Polls. For the past ten years, fiber artist Penny Mateer has engaged the Pittsburgh and Allegheny County communities around art making and voting rights. Pole-2-Polls is a volunteer-run and community-led project for the creation of nonpartisan lawn and garden VOTE! signs. It originates from the recycling of cloth from past projects, including the enveloping of the railings of the Andy Warhol Bridge in downtown Pittsburgh. Come as you are for an evening of arts and crafts, talks, and community celebration!

PANEL DISCUSSION: 7-8pm

Abortion, birth control, IVF, parental notification. Who has access, what are your rights, and how can you take control of your bodily autonomy? Facilitated by Keystone Progress Education Fund, join members of Planned Parenthood Western PA, Women’s Law Project, and the Auto(nomous) Body Shop for a conversation on the state of reproductive healthcare in Pennsylvania and beyond!

About the panelists:

Sydney Etheredge became the President and CEO of Planned Parenthood of Western Pennsylvania in January 2022. Prior to this role, Sydney worked for Planned Parenthood Federation of America for nearly ten years where she provided guidance on ways to further embed women’s health in system transformation efforts.

M. Tyler Gillett joined the Western office of the Women’s Law Project in August of 2022, starting as a law clerk and now working as a staff attorney. He is engaged in supporting all of WLP’s legal work, including victim advocacy, impact litigation, legislative issues, and community outreach.

Alecia Ott is the founder of the Auto(nomous) Body Shop, a Pittsburgh based mobile mutual aid resource van supporting bodily autonomy & community care by providing free info and supplies for reproductive/sexual health, abortion care, and harm reduction. She has worked in the reproductive health and justice world for over 15 years with organizations like Planned Parenthood, Women on Waves, Plan C, and Shout Your Abortion.

Rebecca Susman is the Communications and Development Director of Keystone Progress Education Fund and hosts their podcast, (In)Accessible, where she talks with people doing innovative work in reproductive healthcare and rights. Rebecca previously served as Co-Director of the Western PA Fund for Choice, and worked in prison justice for many years.

The Art of Democracy: Resiliency Impacted

Don’t you deserve to be safe? The Art of Democracy: Resiliency Impacted will examine conditions within Western PA that lead to a culture of gun ownership, the measurable loss of life created by firearm violence, and how we can challenge the system that impedes progress in creating safe conditions for everyone regardless of opinion of gun ownership. 

Curator: Jillian Daniels
Exhibition Dates: September 26 through October 20, 2024
Venue: The Fox Clark Gallery (33 N 6th Street, Indiana, PA 15701)

About the Curator

Jillian Daniels is a designer, curator, and mixed media artist interrogating social/political conditions and identity through historical narratives, visual culture, storytelling, and systems design. Jillian is currently the Deputy Director of Operations at Silver Eye Center for Photography and holds a BS in Industrial Design Studies + Systems Design and BA Studio Art from SUNY University at Buffalo and is a Ronald E. McNair Scholar.

Programs:

Screening & Discussion:

Date: Thursday, October 17
Time: 5:00-6:30pm
Free
Venue: The Fox Clark Gallery (33 N 6th St, Indiana, PA 15701)

Join CeaseFirePA’s Campaign Director, Josh Fleitman, for a special screening of short videos addressing the impact of gun violence on our communities. While the program will engage with difficult stories and realities, the focus will be on solutions we can make as active constituents. The evening will involve group conversation among the participants—encouraging sharing and listening—as we reflect on the realities of this crisis and how through policy change and collective action we can come together to end it.

About Josh Fleitman:
Josh Fleitman is CeaseFirePA’s Campaign Director, overseeing our statewide strategy to build powerful partnerships around gun violence prevention advocacy, and leading our efforts to shift the narrative on what causes and prevents gun violence. Josh’s background is in politics, policy, and communications at the local, state, and federal government levels. He has previously served as Deputy Chief of Staff to PA State Senator Pam Iovino and worked in the offices of U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer, Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe, and various government agencies.

Archiving Memories with Archivist and Memory Worker Chelsea Gunn

Date: Saturday, October 19th
Time: 1:00pm - 2:30pm
Free
Venue: The Fox Clark Gallery (33 N 6th St, Indiana, PA 15701)

Workshop: 
Join archivist and memory worker, Chelsea Gunn, for a workshop that will explore approaches to preserving personal photographs and the stories associated with them. Gun violence impacts all of us and it is crucial that we find ways to honor our lost loved ones and community members. Please bring a photo — print or digital — that holds memory for you. We will use them to ground our discussion of archival practices. No prior experience with archives is necessary for this session. This is a free workshop.

The Art of Democracy

The Art of Democracy demonstrates the integral role that artists play in a healthy democracy. The exhibition looks to explore ways that artists and activists are using their voices, working in direct collaboration with communities, and harnessing collective power to move us towards a more just and liberated world.

Curator: Natalie Sweet
Exhibition Dates: October 10 through November 2, 2024
Venue: Brew House Arts (711 S. 21st Street #210, Pittsburgh, PA 15203)

The exhibition series is the result of a partnership between Keystone Progress Education Fund and Casey Droege Cultural Productions. For The Art of Democracy: The Impact of Gun Violence On Our Communities, additional partnership support comes from CeaseFire PA.

About the curator:

Natalie Sweet (she/her) is a cultural worker, curator, and community builder based in Pittsburgh, PA. She currently serves as Executive Director of Brew House Arts, a non-profit art center that hosts community driven fine art exhibitions, artist studios, and residency programs. Natalie’s work explores how inclusive spaces and networks can connect people to the arts, their surroundings, and to each other. Natalie earned a degree in the History of Art and Architecture at the University of Pittsburgh in 2009. Since then, she has collaborated with various organizations such as Contemporary Craft, Headcount, the Equity Impact Center, and Associated Artists of Pittsburgh.

Programs:

The Art of Democracy: An Evening of music, poetry, and peace with Diarra Imani

Date: Wednesday, October 23rd
Time: 6:00pm - 9:00pm
Venue: Brew House Arts (711 S. 21st Street#201, Pittsburgh, PA 15203)

As The Art of Democracy probes how we can actively participate in and impact our communities, it is important to find intentional time to reflect on how we are prepared to show up. Alchemy is an intimate environment that unwraps the political obligations we take on as citizens, workers, peers, and caretakers. With carpets and candles, tea and breathwork, participants will prepare their palette for peace, poetry, and a moving performance by Diarra Imani. 

Registration is required for limited spots. Tickets are available at a pay-what-you-can rate between $0-20.

The Art of Democracy: Pole-2-Polls & Community Discussion

Saturday, October 12
Workshop: 11am-2pm / Discussion: 2-4pm
Venue: Brew House Arts, 711 S 21st St #210, Pittsburgh, PA 15203

MAKING WORKSHOP: 11am-2pm

Brew House Arts is hosting artist Penny Mateer for a Pole-2-Polls making workshop. Pole-2-Polls is a volunteer-run and community-led project for the creation of nonpartisan lawn and garden VOTE! signs. It originates from the recycling of cloth from past projects, including the enveloping of the railings of the Andy Warhol Bridge in downtown Pittsburgh. Come as you are for a day of arts and crafts, talks, and community celebration! This is a free, drop-in event. Everything will be provided, and no skills necessary. Learn more about the event here.

COMMUNITY DISCUSSION: 2-4pm

Although voting is a fundamental right and a powerful tool to facilitate social change, the U.S. has a long history of disenfranchising political power from marginalized communities, barring voters from effectively participating in electoral politics. In addition to a complex history with voting, in 2024, on the cusp of a critical presidential election, voters continue expressing growing disinterest in voting, given the ongoing lack of trust in the presidential election caused by a recurring cycle of false hopes and broken promises. Every four years, we are asked to “save democracy.” And every four years after ballots are tallied, no one comes back to save us.

We invite you to join us imagining and demanding more, while learning how to understand and navigate our current electoral process. Please join New Voices in exploring the apathy, reservations, hopes, and aspirations surrounding the upcoming General Election. We'll discuss what Voter Apathy is and what tools, resources, and opportunities are available to help curb disinterest and build community power within and beyond the limitation of elections.

New Voices is a Reproductive Justice organization that supports and builds power for and alongside Black women, Black queer folks, and Black marginalized people through leadership development, community care, resourcing, and mutual aid. The spark for New Voices was ignited in 2004 when four Black women, La'Tasha D. Mayes, Bekezela Mguni, Maria Nicole Dautruche, and Lois "Toni" McClendon, gathered women of color and allies from Western Pennsylvania to attend the Women’s March in Washington. New Voices staff currently work in three cities: Cleveland, Ohio and Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

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