SHORT ESSAY: This Is What I Know About Art
Art and
activism have always been closely intertwined, with artists using their
creative abilities to address social and political issues. In the book
"This Is What I Know About Art" written by Kimberly Drew, the author
discusses the role of art in activism and how it can be used as a tool for
social change as it explores the intersection of art, race, and identity.
The book starts with Drew’s
childhood and her introduction to art. She discusses her time studying art
history in college and the challenges she faced navigating the art world as a
Black woman. Throughout the book, Drew shares her personal experiences with various
artworks and artists, including her work as a curator and her involvement in
social media platforms such as Tumblr and Instagram.
As stated in the book “The Art of
Activism” by Steve Duncombe and Steve Lambert, “Art allows us to say things
that can’t be said, to give form to abstract feelings and ideas and present
them in such ways that they can be communicated with others” (pg. 25). This quote
is one of the themes that has been illustrated in Drew’s memoir. On page 48,
Drew talks about the increasing violence from police forces towards the Black
community and how “images, sculptures, and writing that helped [her] through the
anger [she] was.” Art has the power to provide comfort and healing after
experiencing violence through expressing emotions and processing traumas.
Through creative expression, individuals can find solace and a sense of control
in a world where they may feel powerless. Art can also provide a platform for
individuals to share their experiences and connect with others who have gone
through similar experiences.
Kimberly Drew offers insights into
the challenges that artists of color face in the art world. She discusses the lack
of diversity in the field and the need for institutions to actively seek out
and support artists from underrepresented backgrounds. She also highlights the
importance of creating spaces for dialogue and collaboration between artists
and communities, in order to bridge the gap between the art world and wider
society.
Authors, historians, and curators
can be activists by amplifying diverse perspectives. As mentioned earlier, one
of the issues that Drew addressed was the lack of diversity in the world of art.
She noticed how there are not many artists who inspired her to enter the
industry presented and talked about, stating “… I didn’t get many opportunities
to learn about artists and movements that got me in the first place. There have
been Black people since the beginning of time, but I was not seeing any of
their art in any of my classes…” (Drew, 2020, pg. 20). This led to her undertaking
of ensuring diversity and inclusivity in the art field, which is crucial not only
to have a better understanding of history, literature, and art but also to encourage
people who want to choose this career path but are too intimidated due to the underrepresentation.
For me, the
most pivotal moment in the book would be the ending as it is what I relate to
the most. She states, “We don’t have to be at the end of our careers to uplift
others; we must uplift one another along the way if we are to survive” (Drew,
2020, pg. 49). I am studying Computer Science in hopes of being a Full-Stack
Software Developer in the future. In the Software field, there is a huge gender
gap. As provided by Scientific American, “only 20 percent of computer science
and 22 percent of engineering undergraduate degrees in the U.S. go to women. (Cheryan,
Master, and Meltzoff, 2022).” The writer also claimed that the reason why women
are not pursuing these careers is not that they aren’t interested, but because
of the culture of these fields and how they exclude women. I agree with this
statement. For most of my computer science-related classes, many male peers
would rather collaborate with another male student in the class and would not
take women’s explanations on the topic being discussed, in love with the idea
that men will always be smarter than women. I have experienced this multiple
times, as well as my female peers. While studying with my male peers, I would
discuss theories, and they would say “I do not think that’s how it works.” They
then asked our professor to explain it to them once again, and the professor
ended up proving my points. I am not implying women are smarter than men; I just
want women to be given the same opportunities and respect as men receive. Ever
since these occurrences in my first year of college, I show up in my classes
confidently and voice out what I know whenever I could. It saddens me that
women have to prove themselves before they could be taken seriously in the
world of academia, even anywhere. However, I will continue to do this despite
how exhausting it can be because it inspires other women in the room and
encourages them to uplift each other.
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| Candice Anderson, Margaret Morton, Tom Finkelpearl, Miguel Luciano, James E. Bartlett, and Nicole Ivy discussing art world diversity in 2016. Photo by Margarita Corporan, courtesy of Cool Culture. |
REFERENCES
Cheryan, Sapna, et al. “There Are Too Few Women in Computer Science and Engineering.” Scientific American, Scientific American, 27 July 2022, https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/there-are-too-few-women-in-computer-science-and-engineering/#:~:text=There%20Are%20Too%20Few%20Women%20in%20Computer%20Science%20and%20Engineering,-It's%20not%20that&text=Only%2020%20percent%20of%20computer,lucrative%20and%20high%2Dstatus%20careers.
Drew, Kimberly. This Is What I Know about Art. Penguin Workshop, 2020.
Duncombe, Stephen, and Steve Lambert. The Art of Activism: Your All-Purpose Guide to Making The
Impossible Possible. O/R, 2021.
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