The St. Olaf chapter of the political science honor society Pi Sigma Alpha (PSA) will host a panel event, called “Artivism,” on May 5 to examine the intersection of art and political protest.
PSA plans to bring in Dio Cramer, Leon Wang, Charles Caldwell, and Sean Lim to participate in a panel discussing art in social movements. All four are artists based in the Twin Cities.
“The artists we are bringing to campus are all change makers in the local Minneapolis area and we hope that their experiences of making change through art can inspire others to think differently about how they can affect change in the world,” said PSA president Gretchen Ellis ’23.
Cramer works as an illustrator, graphic designer, printmaker, and storyteller. Cramer makes “movement art” — illustrations and graphics for social movements — that they allow protestors and activists to use in their own work.
Wang is the founder of Firebird Design Lab, which unites art and community activism under the motto “maximum impact via minimal means.” Wang is also an Adjunct Assistant Professor of Architecture at the University of Minnesota’s College of Design.
Caldwell is an artist who has worked in portraits, mosaic, wood carving, drawing, watercolor, parallels, paper sculpture, acrylics, and murals. Caldwell’s art “celebrates the African American experience as a universal story of everyman,” his website said.
Lim works as the Program Director at the Minnesota Youth Collective and is a community organizer supporting the movement for rent control in Minneapolis, mutual aid in the Twin Cities, and the Defend the Depot movement among others.
“We hope that the event will inspire attendees to think more deeply about the relationship between art and politics, and to consider how they can use their own creative talents to promote positive change in the world,” Ellis said.
The event will be followed by a discussion hosted by the Political Awareness Committee (PAC) and catered by Tin Tea. The panel and discussion will be on May 5 at 7:00 p.m. in CAD 305.