Massachusetts Artists Leaders Coalition

Artists leaders and artist-run groups addressing policy issues that affect artists in Massachusetts

Create arts-based work in response to disaster or community-wide emergency

Download USDAC's "Art Became the Oxygen: A Guide to Artistic Response", a free guide to arts-based work responding to environmental disaster, civic crises, etc.

(August 3, 2017, USDAC announcement)

ART BECAME THE OXYGEN: A GUIDE TO ARTISTIC RESPONSE

A Guide for Artists, Emergency Management Agencies, Funders, Policy-Makers,
and Communities Responding to Natural and Civil Emergencies

USDAC Art Became Oxygen cover
Download “Art Became The Oxygen” above, and share!

The USDAC recently released their “Art Became the Oxygen: A Guide to Artistic Response“, a free 74-page guide to arts-based work responding to environmental disaster, social and civic crises, and other community-wide emergencies.

“Art Became The Oxygen” was created to engage readers who share the intention of offering care, awakening awareness, and helping to create possibility in the midst or wake of crisis, including:

  • Artists who wish to use their gifts for healing, whether in the immediate aftermath of a crisis or during the months and years of healing and rebuilding resilience that follow.
  • Resource-providers—both public and private grantmakers and individual donors—who care about compassion and community-building.
  • Disaster agencies, first responders, and service organizations on call and on duty when an emergency occurs, and those committed to helping over time to heal the damage done.

Incorporating first-person experience and guidance from respected voices deeply engaged in artistic response from Katrina to Ferguson, from Sandy to Standing Rock, this guide includes hundreds of links to powerful arts projects, official emergency resources, and detailed accounts for those who want to go even deeper.

Download Art Became The Oxygen here

As natural disasters and social emergencies multiply, the need has grown for ethical, creative, and effective artistic response. We hope that this will be a valuable resource for all who are committed to strengthening creativity and community in trying times.

About the USDAC

The USDAC is a people-powered department—a grassroots action network inciting creativity and social imagination to shape a culture of empathy, equity, and belonging. It’s through your participation that “Art Became The Oxygen” has been made possible. We are grateful to all of the partners whose inspiring words and creative ideas you will read in this Guide, and to each and every one of you!

If you would like to take a further step toward honing and deploying your artistic response skills, please be sure you’re on the USDAC mailing list to receive information about the newly developing Bureau of Artistic Response, a national network of Citizen Artists to share resources, learn from each other, and make a wider impact. Just add your name and email at our website.

The U.S. Department of Arts and Culture is not a government agency, but an act of collective imagination fueled by all who believe that art and culture are among our most powerful and under-tapped resources for creating a more just, equitable, and vibrant world. Learn more about the USDAC and read our Statement of Values.

 Important Reminder

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