Printmaking and Street Art As Activist Art Tools

This summer, I proposed and was fortunate to teach a class to a remarkable group of women at the UC Berkeley Art Extension. The students all made some incredible work, and have given me permission to post some of it here.

Going in alphabetical order, the first is Alexandra Corcoran. Alex was working on expressing the lack of jobs and opportunities for college graduates in the current economic situation.

Lina Janusas was interested in expressing the lack of vitality in corporate culture, sort of along the lines of the "Occupy Your Life" movement, with shades of Posada.

Ka Gan Cheung, winner of the fastest printmaker award for the class, was focused on immigrant rights and exploitation.

Priscilla Read wanted to explore her environmental interests, but found that subject too broad. She ended up focusing on the idea of reducing plastic use, which led her from printmaking to printing on bags to provide vehicles for reducing plastic use.

Susan Richardson took on global warming, and integrated the ideas into an already established body of work that incorporated calligraphy, typography, narrative, experimentation, and other various forms of markmaking.

Katrina Zappala was interested in expressing honeybee issues, such as Colony Collapse Disorder.

It was an amazing and energetic class. And it looks like I will be returning next summer to teach it again next summer!