What are the Social Arts?
The social arts bring vitality to our social change work. Participatory art forms strengthen and deepen our relationships in the making of more inclusive spaces. The social arts help awaken our imagination and move us toward inspired creative action. Here are some resources related to bringing the social arts into our work.
Art is an essential element of person-centered work as an aspect of transcending cultural and literacy differences to join people together to transform and reimagine possibilities for people with disabilities. Beth Mount identifies reasons that the arts matter in the co-creative process of building new worlds together.
A reflection on how the creation of Story Quilts emerged in Beth's person-centered planning practice as a means of capturing the beauty, dignity, heart and soul of social change work that is rooted in the quest for justice.
JustUs Cafe: The Art of Social Change
Tom Kohler, Ashely Brown Obrien and Beth Mount created The Art of Social Change Closed Facebook group in 2011 as part of the "Journey to the Beloved Community,” a community mobilization hosted by the Chatham Savannah Citizen Advocacy Office in Savannah Georgia. The Telfair Museum hosted the “Story Quilt Exhibit by Beth Mount.” People throughout Savannah connected in fresh ways to imagine and build Beloved Communities. Since 2012, the Facebook group has expanded to include more than 1,200 activists and artists from throughout the world who bring their creative energy to build communities that work better for everyone. David Hasbury joined in a curatorial role and we renamed the group “Just Us Cafe: The Art of Social Change” which cultivates a rich global exchange between artists, activists and change makers.