Title

Arts Meet Mission: Artists Engaged In Activism, Activists Making Art

Files

Event Date

4-4-2014

Artists/Presenters

Kevin Simowitz, Maine People's AllianceFollow
Kolawole A. Bankole, Portland Public Health: Minority Health ProgramFollow
Elise Pepple, Smith CollegeFollow
Tommy Waltz, Preble Street Resource CenterFollow
Donna McNeil, Artists in ContextFollow

Event Location

UNE Portland Campus Art Gallery

Description

Kevin Simowitz of the Maine People’s Alliance facilitated the roundtable discussion between: Dr. Kolawole A. Bankole, director of the Minority Health Program at Portland Public Health; Smith College Masters in Social Work Student Elise Pepple: USM Masters in Social Work Student Tommy Waltz of the Preble Street Resource Center; and Donna McNeil of Artists In Context and former director of the Maine Arts Commission. The panel highlighted how artists, activists, organizations and institutions use arts in transformation, from an individual, personal growth and healing level all the way up to a policy level, and how arts move individuals who set policy. As McNeil says, “I firmly believe that the arts are essential to the creation and sustainability of livable communities, that they are a powerful economic driver, and that they serve to educate and enlighten a citizenry toward its best self. To that end I offer my deep knowledge and expertise where needed to advance a better future.”

Keywords

art, social work, activism, policy

Disciplines

Art and Design | Art Practice | Social Work | Sociology

Comments

Video also available on YouTube: https://youtu.be/c43lYyD52C4

Preferred Citation

Simowitz, Kevin; Bankole, Kolawole A.; Pepple, Elise; Waltz, Tommy; and McNeil, Donna, "Arts Meet Mission: Artists Engaged In Activism, Activists Making Art" (2014). Applied Arts and Social Justice Artist Talks. 9.
https://dune.une.edu/ssw_artisttalks/9