Art As Counterbalance
It’s an understatement to say that the world is on fire. The Climate Crisis. Rising fascism and autocracy in the United States and around the world. Multiple crises in the Ukraine, Gaza, Congo, and Sudan. Spikes in antisemitism and islamophobia. Inflation is driving up the cost of everything.
It’s easy to feel hopeless.
But here’s the thing: We must find hope where we can. For me, that means art. And I’m talking about art, broadly, not just the visual art that I’ve been posting about on IG. If you look across all artistic disciplines, artists have been producing exciting, innovative, and thoughtful work. In theater, there was the recent run of The Refuge Plays by Nathan Alan Davis or actor Wendell Pierce’s lead performance earlier this year in Death of a Salesman. Authors such as Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah, Justin Torres, and Aaliyah Bilal dropped Chain Gang All Stars, Blackouts, and Temple Folk, respectively, to name just a few. In music, be inspired by recent albums from Allison Russell, Yussef Dayes, Andre 3000, or Gaba Cannal (more on him below). In film, there are recent documentaries on saxophonist Wayne Shorter, drummer Max Roach, fashion activist Bethann Hardison and poet Nikki Giovanni. Lastly, in visual art there’s an almost embarrassment of riches: Check out current shows by Jamel Robinson, Meleko Mokgosi, Calida Rawles, and Kevin Cole. And that’s only a few.
What’s my point? We all need counterweights to the world’s heaviness, especially as we continue to advocate for justice, equality, and peace. We need a way to recharge. For me, the arts continue to provide that inspiration. Beyond inspiration, artists often ask the questions that need to be asked and, through their work, provide bridges to other people’s humanity. That is if we let them. I certainly hope we do.
So go fill up on art. Then get back to doing what you can to make the world more just and safe for everyone.
Let’s go!
