This is What I know about Art

 

         This is What I Know About Art 

   In “This is What I Know about Art”, by Kimberly Drew we are introduced to the challenges the author faced on her journey as a student and curator. In the autobiography, we are introduced to the economic issues she’s dealt with. Tying into her being a struggling black female student learning about art history, but realizing the fact that there’s not a lot of black representation. This ties into what we spoke about in class on how the art world is not very diverse and catered to the taste of the elite. Her not seeing the representation of art by her people sparked the activist in her to make it part of her duty to bring light to black art. As she says, “I did not want Black art to be exterminated. I saw it happening in my art history classes, and I just had to do something to build a history online”. 

     Not seeing black art representation in class and the curiosity to discover more black artists and share their work sparked the action of creating a blog. Which she ended up putting together a team and doing. At the time she was handling the social media for Studio Museum where she used that platform as a way to “To connect the burgeoning #BlackTwitter community to black stu”.  This is highly activist as she is utilizing a platform to inform and enlighten the masses, who may not have the knowledge or means to acquire them. So In a sense, it’s a form of digital protesting as it is spreading awareness. Whether it be through a historian, curator or social media influencer activism is an act that anyone can partake in. A historian is someone who should be knowledgeable of history when a historian spreads or brings awareness of this knowledge to others who may not know that the individual is partaking in activism. For example, when Kimberly Drew started to work for the Metropolitan Museum she used her role to raise awareness about access for the disabled. She showcased different entrances that can be used, also going as far as to have a sign language interpreter present when lectures were given. As it stated in “The Art of Activism”, “The goal of activism is to generate an effect”, which Kimble’s Drew definitely did. A part in her story that felt meaningful to me is when she mentioned how she had developed a system of visiting free exhibitions and posting about it while not having a crazy amount of money in her bank account. I liked this because I tend to do this. As many people in my neighborhood or following May not know about these great events that may be happening around, these are the types of events that artists like me may get in for free and meet a millionaire and similar instances have happened to me. So, I just want more people like me to have amazing experiences as well. 

    The art in the exhibition “Latin American Artist: Dreams and Possibilities “, definitely connects to the mission of Kimberly Drew and our discussion of art and activism as in the exhibition many of the works were created as a way of bringing awareness/ protest about a certain topic. Whether it be showing the face of past historic Puerto Rican leaders or showcasing a Cattleya Orchid to represent the lost tribe of the Yarigui. 

  

This is the Cattleya Orchid which is the National Colombian flower and symbolic of the Yarigui people painted by Giannina Gutierrez, this is activism as it brings awareness to a long group of people in Columbian history.

This art piece by Melissa Negron Ulto connects to our readings of Kimberly Drew as well as previous readings about art and activism as it depicts “ Ramón Emeterio Betances- father of Puerto Rico Independence Movement, recognized for his lifelong involvement in the pursuit of liberty and his leadership in Puerto Rico” This brings awareness/recognition of a prominent figure in Puerto Rican history that should be remembered through generations.