Art as Activism in Houston
How the subject of the common reading book, “Photography as Activism,” can be seen in Houston.
“Unwoven Light” by Soo Sunny Parks in the Rice Galley. A full story on the piece can be found here: http://www.ricegallery.org/new/exhibition/unwovenlight.html
Photo from: http://www.chookooloonks.com/blog/unwoven-light-and-you-are-your-own-niche
The common reading book, “Photography as Activism,” by Michelle Bogre, is a discussion of the history of activist photography, how it developed, and what it looks like today. Bogre wrote that “Activist photography is intent and process. It is an act and a filter through which a photographer perceives the world. It is a passionate voice and moral vision.” Not only photography, but all art can take on this role, and Houston and Rice are home to some incredible works of art with a powerful message and drive to change inequalities in the world.
Ghost Bikes
“Ghost Bikes are small and somber memorials for bicyclists who are killed or hit on the street. A bicycle is painted all white and locked to a street sign near the crash site, accompanied by a small plaque.
They serve as reminders of the tragedy that took place on an otherwise anonymous street corner, and as quiet statements in support of cyclists’ right to safe travel.
We hope to create a space where those lost on dangerous streets can be remembered by their loved ones, members of their local communities, and others from around the world. We also hope to inspire more people to start installing ghost bikes in their communities and to initiate changes that will make us all safer on the
streets.”
Description found at ghostbikes.org/. You can find more information at http://www.criticalmasshouston.com/houston-ghost-bikes/ and ghostbikes.org/houston.
Q&A Drag Show
Every spring, Rice’s LGBT student organization, Queers and Allies, hosts a drag show in Willy’s Pub. Headlining both professional and student drag performers, the show features great music, stunning costumes, and even better hair.
In addition to spurring conversations of gender, queerdom, and what it means to be a performing artist, Drag Show raises money for HATCH (Houston Area Teen Coalition of Homosexuals). HATCH provides after school programming, a radio show, and an alternative prom for LGBT youth in the Houston area.
HATCH: http://hatchyouth.org/ Queers and Allies: https://www.facebook.com/groups/riceqanda/
Sister Outsider Poetry
Coming to Rice next Fall, Sister Outsider Poetry tours college and university campus to provide a poetry workshop and performances. Keep an eye out for further information.
“Sister Outsider stands at the intersection of art and activism, using poetry as a tool for social change. They bring culturally competent, paradigm shifting performance poetry, workshops, and dialogue to universities, institutions, schools, organizations, and community spaces all over the country to expand necessary conversations about identity, inclusion, race, gender and LGBTQ issues, and the epidemic of gender-based violence.Through spoken word they connect deeply personal stories to a diverse range of social and political issues, particularly around race, gender and sexuality, and how those tie into being an “other.”
More specifically, poems focus on Latin, black, and multicultural identities, homophobia, surviving sexual assault, reclaiming women’s bodies, immigration, language, educational inequalities, coming of age, and more. They write their “otherness” into the center and encourage others, particularly those in marginalized communities, to do the same. Inspired by the life and work of Audre Lorde, these two artists and educators, come together under one vision.”
The New Face of Hunger
National Geographic has put together photo story called “The New Face of Hunger: Why are people malnourished in the richest country on Earth?” One of the photographers, Kitra Cahana, did a series on Houston:
Rice’s Community Involvement Center posted a link to the gallery on their Facebook page, and you can find the photo essay here: http://www.nationalgeographic.com/foodfeatures/hunger/
Berlin Wall Memorial
“In 2000, 11 years after the fall of the Berlin Wall, Rice University installed a section of the wall as a permanent part of the Baker Institute. Speaking at the opening ceremony for this monument, Rice University President Malcolm Gillis noted that the remnants of the Berlin Wall serve to remind us that no structure is capable of confining ‘the human mind and the human spirit in its quest for freedom.’ Also speaking at the event, German Ambassador to the United States Juergen Chrobog noted that the Berlin Wall came down ‘because the people of the former Germany in a display of remarkable courage exerted the will to be free.’” Source
