Citizen Joy: Views of Democracy - Gratitude & Aspiration Juror & Artists Gallery Walk|Talk
From Citizen Joy Founder and Exhibition Juror, Jeff Raz:
The seeds of Views of Democracy: Gratitude and Aspiration were sown in January 2024 at Julie’s Coffee and Tea in Alameda when I overheard a woman saying, “I can’t stop doomscrolling!” Then I looked at my own phone and the headline screamed, “Doom and Gloom: Iowa Caucuses,” I realized that this miasma, this doom and gloom narrative, was paralyzing citizens, including me, at the exact moment we needed to be engaged, animated, even joyful in our defense of democracy. But I wasn’t sure I really knew what democracy was, and I was pretty sure I didn’t love it. This doomscrolling woman needed help, and so did I.
I started asking artist friends, “What does the government do that brings you joy?” Most people’s eyes popped wide – “government and joy don’t belong in the same sentence” – followed by a long silence. Finally, I heard answers about national parks, air traffic controllers and indoor plumbing. Then I asked, “What choices do you get to make that are dear to your heart?” a question that most people answered easily – “where I get to live,” “whom I choose to love,” “what health choices I get to make,” etc.\
Friends talked with friends and in a couple of months over sixty organizations had joined Citizen Joy, a national coalition of artists, arts organizations, and educators from all disciplines encouraging fellow citizens to explore what democracy really is, does and could be. When artist/curator Barbara Kibbe and I sat in the Sanchez Art Center with Cindy Abbott, these questions about democracy turned into ideas about art that eventually became this exhibit.
In selecting the artwork for this show, I was looking for two things – pieces that thrilled me, that gave me joy, and art that had a strong point of view about democracy. I also wanted visitors to experience an exciting variety of sizes, shapes, colors, textures and ideas as they walked through the gallery, so I leaned on my background as a circus director to program the “acts” in this exhibit. As you peruse Views of Democracy, you will also see a wide range of media and technique, from video to sculpture and from painting to photography to textile art and mixed media. Some of the works are representational, others are fantastical; some are abstract, others include narrative
Event Links
Website: https://go.evvnt.com/2832829-0
