For the past few weeks I've been going through the interview process in order to join americorps for a program addressing issues of hunger in New York. The question that keeps coming up is, "you're an artist. Why are you interested in community work?" It's a valid question, but one I always have to answer when I'm up for any type of community position, and I wanted to expand on that since it's been on my mind.
I consider artists to be a vital part of any and every community. It's important that we have our finger on the pulse of the issues, and provide perspective, healing, a record...whatever we choose to express. The artist is a mirror of her community and also a catalyst for change.
I think there's a stereotype of the artist being locked away in a studio, or isolated is some fancy gallery, and not really being of the people. I know so many artists, most of them artists of color, who do just the opposite. They engage with the community in so many ways. They teach, help build community gardens, speak to youth...and it helps fuel their creative work as well, and also expand their audience.
I have never separated the role of artist/community member. I have been doing volunteer work and organizing for as long as I can remember, and when a flier was needed, or a mural, I was on it. When I first began selling my work, I made sure to create not only large scale pieces, but small ones for $5 because I was (and still am) passionate about art being accessible to everyone.
But I find myself up against that artist stereotype often. That's why I'm always inspired when I encounter artists who consider their community work just as natural as putting a brush to a canvas, or writing a song. I make an effort to surround myself with the works of such artists as a reminder that my calling is not as strange as some people make it out to be. Lately I've been inspired by a few artists like this, one such example being Native American songstress Buffy Sainte- Marie. You might remember her from early Sesame Street episodes back in the 1970s. She was not only a musician, but a teacher. She traveled the world teaching, making music, and engaging with indigenous communities in every region she visited. She later went on to help develop more accurate school curriculum materials for teaching American Indian history to children, arranged pen pal exchanges between school kids on reservations and other parts of the U.S., and also founded a scholarship fund for Native American students. And all the while still recording and touring.
Artists like Buffy Sainte-Marie remind me that my own visions of art-making and community work are absolutely valid and possible, even though others may not understand. I want to do work that positively affects the lives of women and girls of African descent, which has taken on many forms, starting first with documenting our stories and our work (Girlblue, Black Butterfly) and next will expand into art donation to some very worthy organizations. I am just letting it all take shape. If there's one thing I've learned in life, it's that if you're blessed, your blessings and positivity will multiply when shared with others.