Ken Grossinger will discuss Art Works: How Organizers and Artists are Creating a Better World Together. He will be joined in conversation by Sulma Arias. A Q&A and signing will follow the discussion.

Presented in partnership with People’s Action.

This event will be held in person at The Seminary Co-op.

About the Book: An artist’s mural of George Floyd becomes an emblem of a renewed movement for racial equality. A documentary film injects fuel into a popular mobilization to oust a Central American dictator. Freedom songs course through the American civil rights movement.

When artists and organizers combine forces, new forms of political mobilization follow—which shape lasting social change. And yet few people appreciate how much deliberate strategy often propels this vital social change work. Behind the scenes, artists, organizers, political activists, and philanthropists have worked together to hone powerful strategies for achieving the world we want and the world we need.

In Art Works, noted movement leader Ken Grossinger chronicles these efforts for the first time, distilling lessons and insights from grassroots leaders and luminaries such as Ai Weiwei, Courtland Cox, Jackson Browne, Shepard Fairey, Jane Fonda, Elizabeth Alexander, Bill McKibben, JR, Jose Antonio Vargas, and more.

Drawing from historical and present-day examples—including Black Lives Matter, Standing Rock, the Hip Hop Caucus, the Legacy Museum, and the Art for Justice Fund—Grossinger offers a rich tapestry of tactics and successes that speak directly to the challenges and needs of today’s activists and of these political times.

About the Author: Ken Grossinger has been a leading strategist in movements for social and economic justice for thirty-five years, in unions and community organizations, and as director of Impact Philanthropy in Democracy Partners. Among other cultural projects, he co-executive produced the award-winning Netflix documentaries The Social Dilemma and The Bleeding Edge. The author of Art Works (The New Press), he lives in Washington, DC.

About the Interlocutor: Sulma Arias is the executive director of People’s Action Institute and People’s Action, a national network of grassroots organizations. As the first Latina immigrant to lead these organizations, she has over 20 years of experience in organizing, training, and strategic planning. Arias has worked on various issues such as healthcare, payday loans, and worker justice, including leading grassroots immigrant rights groups and contributing to the development of long-term agendas.

About People’s Action: People’s Action and People’s Action Institute were founded in 2016 to ignite a movement of millions that captures the rising demand for change in our society. Formed from the merger of powerful national organizations, we also come from a storied history of innovation and success.

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Tags: Art Works, Chicago, Hyde Park, Ken Grossinger, Seminary Co Op Bookstore, Sulma Arias