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Recent News: Community Arts Criticism and Theory
April 29, 2010
Launch: WITNESS, Journal of Social Responsibility
WITNESS: A Journal of Social Responsibility, "the nation's first undergraduate social justice journal," was launched today, April 29, 2010, at the Boston College Arts Festival.
[more ]
April 15, 2010
Goldbard to Talk Cultural Citizenship in Philly
"The snobbery contaminating much of the nonprofit arts sector has done more to alienate potential supporters than any other factor," CAN writer Arlene Goldbard said in a recent speech.
[more ]
April 1, 2010
Goldbard: Reframing Art's Public Purpose
CAN writer Arlene Goldbard gave a practical keynote at the recent "At the Crossroads: A Community Arts & Development Convening" in St. Louis, Mo.
[more ]
March 30, 2010
20th Anniversary NALAC Conference, San Jose, April
"Latino Creativity in the 21st Century: Beyond the Tipping Point" is the theme of the 20th Anniversary National Conference of National Association of Latino Arts and Culture (NALAC), April 14-18, 2010.
[more ]
March 18, 2010
“Going Public!” Spring Series at KSU, Ga.
This spring, faculty and staff at Kennesaw State University are exploring the role of the arts and humanities in public scholarship through a leadership development series, “Going Public!”
[more ]
 More Community Arts Criticism and Theory news
 Go to APInews for complete news listings
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| All Essays on Community Arts Criticism and Theory |
30 Years and Counting: A Context for Building a Shared Cross-Cultural Commons:
Calling for an alternative economic vision that puts freedom, justice and equity at the core of society.
By Jack (John Kuo Wei) Tchen
(November 2007)
A Bridge Conversation on Creating with a Sense of Strategic Practice:
Maribel Alvarez and Jason Bulluck on paying attention to the “little stuff,” engaging in critical discourse and understanding how power can be shaken up.
By Jason Bulluck
(April 2008)
A Bridge Conversation on Planning the Revolution over Collards:
Tufara Waller Muhammad and Javiera Benavente talk about the long tradition of arts and culture in Southern organizing and the danger of putting the spotlight on individuals.
By Javiera Benavente
(June 2008)
A Bridge Conversation on the Creativity of Strategic Communications:
Dee Davis and Michelle Miller talk about the aesthetics and mathematics of social change.
By Michelle Miller
(June 2008)
A Call for Cultural Development:
On the role of the "home-grown" artist in a vital, characteristically Southeastern culture, a "local life aware of itself."
By Dudley Cocke and Ruby Lerner
(October 2003)
A Jar in Tennessee:
CAN reviews "Local Acts: Community-Based Performance in the United States," a new book by Jan Cohen-Cruz.
By Richard Owen Geer
(May 2005)
A Journey of Discouragement and Hope: An Introduction to Arts and Corrections:
With 100 prison arts residencies under his belt, a working poet introduces the field.
By Grady Hillman
(December 2001)
A New Day in the Academy:
What happens when discussions about privilege, power and difference butt up against the entrenched conservatism of the academy and establishment art? From Community Arts Perspectives, Vol. 1, No. 1.
By Ken Krafchek
(June 2008)
A Question of Values:
A "matrix" of common principles for community-based artists drawn up at a gathering of grassroots theater artists at Cornell University. First published in From the Ground Up: Grassroots Theater in Historical and Contemporary Perspective, 1993.
(February 2000)
A Text as a Bridge — for You, You and You:
Reflections and lessons learned during five conversations with Alternate ROOTS about Resources for Social Change.
By Gwylene Gallimard and Hope Clark
(January 2010)
All Over the Map: The Top 20 Stories on the Community Arts Network, 2009:
CAN readers' tastes are as diverse as imaginable.
By Linda Frye Burnham
(January 2010)
An Ethic of the End: How Planning and Evaluation Make Art Political:
Art for social justice: Is it Art? Only if it has a clear vision of its purpose.
By David Sloan
(September 2008)
An Introduction to Community Art and Activism:
Some history, theory and personal perspective on activist art for community change.
By Jan Cohen-Cruz
(February 2002)
An Introduction to Training in Community Arts:
How and where training is being offered in community arts, from workshops to degree courses in universities.
By Linda Frye Burnham
(September 2001)
An Introduction to the Arts-for-Health Movement, or How the Arts Sneaked in on the Medical Model:
A short history of the field of arts in healthcare, along with highlights, references and theory based on the author's own experience with arts in the U.S.
By Janice Palmer
(November 2001)
Art Centers for Adults with Disabilities:
Theory, history, personal perspective from the founding director of National Institute of Arts and Disabilities.
By Elias Katz
(February 2002)
Art in Rebuilding Community: The Transforma Project in New Orleans:
Can cultural activity produce meaningful and sustainable activity in a devastated community?
By Jan Cohen-Cruz
(June 2007)
Artibarri: To Share and Debate in Catalonia:
A community arts network animated by ideas.
By Arlene Goldbard
(September 2007)
Arts and Creative Aging Across America:
Overview from the point of view of the director of the National Center for Creative Aging.
By Susan Perlstein
(October 2002)
Authentic Passion: An introduction to the arts in rural and small communities:
Overview from a noted South Dakota arts consultant.
By Janet Brown
(March 2002)
Best Practices or Principles of Practice? Reflecting upon Language & Roles:
The lack of accord around the use of the term “best practice.”
By Melanie Ohm
(July 2008)
Between Grace and Fear: The Role of the Arts in a Time of Change:
Talking with creative thinkers about a major shift in worldview. From Community Arts Perspectives, Vol. 1, No. 1.
By William Cleveland and Patricia A. Shifferd
(June 2008)
Beyond Victimization:
On not letting our identities by defined by our oppression. Published in High Performance #72, Vol. XIX, No. 2, 1996.
By Dan Kwong
(October 2003)
Book Excerpt - Suzanne Lacy: Spaces Between:
From the first in-depth look at an artist whose work is critically important to the history of community-based art.
By Sharon Irish
(April 2010)
Book Review - Arts for Change: Teaching Outside the Frame:
Review of a new book by Beverly Naidus, the latest from New Village Press.
By Anusha Venkataraman
(April 2009)
Book Review: Community Performance: An Introduction:
A new book speaks with many voices.
By Richard Owen Geer
(August 2008)
Book Review: New Creative Community:
CAN reviews a new book by cultural critic Arlene Goldbard.
By Tom Borrup
(November 2006)
Book Review: The Creative Community Builder’s Handbook:
CAN reviews a new book by Tom Borrup & Partners for Livable Communities.
By Libby Maynard
(November 2006)
Bridges, Translations and Change: The Arts as Infrastructure in 21st Century America:
Why the arts are, or should be, important in society. First published in High Performance #58/59, Vol. XV, No. 2/3, 1992.
By William Cleveland
(December 1999)
Campus-Community Partnerships: Supporting or Destroying the Field of Community Arts?:
While higher education trains students to work in the community, are community partners experiencing funding setbacks and closure?
By Sonia BasSheva Majon
(July 2008)
Cannons and Muses: Art in Real-time Crisis:
You're invited to participate in an international collaboration that began in Israel when two art students organized an "urgent conference" during the 2009 Gaza war.
By Moran Been-noon
(June 2009)
Challenging Our Students' Place through Collaborative Art: A Service-Learning Approach:
Learning to develop a sense of place in the world.
By Karen Hutzel
(March 2008)
Chaos, Art and the Age of Uncertainty:
Integrating the arts into culture. This speech was originally delivered on November 1, 1997 at the annual conference of the National Assembly of State Arts Agencies.
By William Cleveland
(December 1999)
Community Arts and Technology: Confessions of a Quiet Practitioner:
Overview from the founding co-director of the Center for Digital Storytelling.
By Joe Lambert
(May 2002)
Community, Culture and Globalization:
Chapter One of "Community, Culture and Globalization," anthology published by the Rockefeller Foundation.
By Don Adams and Arlene Goldbard
(January 2002)
Community-based Art for Social Change:
A definitive essay on art and social change.
By Kathie deNobriga and Mat Schwarzman
(October 1999)
Complexities and Collaborations at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago:
Power dynamics, resources, support and responsibilities in campus-community collaborations.
By Celina Aguilar and Kate McLeod
(July 2008)
Concentric Circles: An Interview with Mary Jane Jacob:
Independent curator Mary Jane Jacob on enlarging the notion of what art is, who makes it, where it's found. Published in
High Performance #69/70, Vol. XVIII, No. 1/2, 1995.
By Carole Tormollan
(December 1999)
Converging Streams: The Community Arts and Sustainable Community Movements:
Are we truly on the brink of a new paradigm?
By Patricia A. Shifferd and Dorothy Lagerroos
(November 2006)
Courting Catharsis:
Review of the community play "Steelbound," produced as part of the Bethlehem, Pa., Steel Festival.
By Gerard Stropnicky
(October 1999)
Creating a Generative Moment — An Interview with Arlene Goldbard:
One of the community arts movement's first national organizers talks about her novel, "Clarity."
By Jan Cohen-Cruz
(July 2004)
Creating a Monster: Capitalism in the Community Arts Classroom:
While grad students are learning the ins & outs of funding for nonprofits, some young innovators are turning away from that model.
By Brandi Rose
(September 2009)
Cross Tides: Getting the picture:
Review of Community Performance Inc. theater production in Newport News, Va.
By Linda Frye Burnham
(December 1999)
Cultural Policy: In the board rooms and on the streets:
Overview from a noted consultant to foundations and government agencies.
By Caron Atlas
(August 2002)
Dancing From the Heart: Urban-based Community Arts:
Overview by a Chicago-based director of community theater projects across the U.S.
By Richard Owen Geer
(May 2002)
Dancing in Community: Its Roots in Art:
A short history of the field of community dance, along with highlights, references and theory based on the author's own experience with her company, the Dance Exchange.
By Liz Lerman
(September 2002)
Darn It, But Thank You:
Review of "The Whole World Gets Well" by Scrap Mettle Soul, Chicago.
By Linda Frye Burnham
(June 2002)
Deeper than Skin or Gender: Community Arts and Cultural Diversity:
Overview of the intersection of art and cultural diversity from the director of Atlanta Partnership for Arts in Learning and former director of Alternate ROOTS.
By Alice Lovelace
(July 2002)
Dialectic of Community Arts Practice and Globalization, or Is This Parade Going the Wrong Way?:
Exploration of some contradictions in the methods used in community cultural development.
By Tom Borrup
(June 2003)
End Cultural Isolationism:
No wonder America is hated in the world. Our government's policy of cultural isolationism is to blame.
By Dudley Cocke
(November 2001)
Enlightenment Through Collaboration:
A collaborative project in South Central Los Angeles could make you believe in magic.
By Brett Cook
(October 2009)
Everybody Say Hallelujah: the Burlington, Vermont, residency:
"Eastside Story," coverage of the Burlington, Vermont, residency in the Liz Lerman Dance Exchange nationwide "Hallelujah" initiative, 1998-2002.
By Linda Frye Burnham
(May 2001)
Everybody Say Hallelujah: the Los Angeles, California, residency:
"Westside Story," coverage of the Los Angeles, California, residency in the Liz Lerman Dance Exchange nationwide "Hallelujah" initiative, 1998-2002.
By Linda Frye Burnham
(May 2001)
Everybody Say Hallelujah: the Michigan residency:
"On the Path to Paradise," coverage of the Michigan residency in the Liz Lerman Dance Exchange nationwide "Hallelujah" initiative, 1998-2002.
By Linda Frye Burnham
(January 2002)
Everybody Say Hallelujah: the Minneapolis, Minnesota, residency:
"Dancing to the Music of Time," coverage of the Minneapolis, Minnesota, residency in the Liz Lerman Dance Exchange nationwide "Hallelujah" initiative, 1998-2002.
By Linda Frye Burnham
(December 2001)
Everybody Say Hallelujah: the North Carolina residencies:
"From the Piedmont to the Blue Ridge," introduction to coverage of the North Carolina residencies in the Liz Lerman Dance Exchange nationwide "Hallelujah" initiative, 1998-2002.
By Linda Frye Burnham
(January 2003)
Exchanging Gifts in Charleston, South Carolina:
A Charleston critic looks at a local/global community arts project: The Future Is on the Table.
By Darryl Lorenzo Wellington
(March 2009)
Finding Multiple Truths in Challenging Times:
Liz Lerman Dance Exchange partners with science in a trans-domain process with many outcomes. From Community Arts Perspectives, Vol. 1, No. 1.
By Jane Hirshberg
(June 2008)
Finding the Thread of an Interrupted Conversation: the Arts, Education, and Community:
Overview of arts and education from the director of Chicago Arts Partnerships in Education (CAPE).
By Arnold Aprill
(February 2002)
First We Make Music: An Introduction to Music and Community Arts:
Overview of community music from the director of the Contintental Harmonies Program of American Composers Forum.
By Patricia A. Shifferd
(March 2002)
Folklife, Meet Community Arts:
A "polemic," chastising both folklorists and community-arts practitioners for remaining so isolated from each other.
By Bau Graves
(January 2004)
Framework for Understanding Ruby Payne:
Teaching art students to apply a theory about poverty to their internships in Baltimore's public schools. From Community Arts Perspectives, Vol. 1, No. 1.
By E. Blaise DePaolo
(June 2008)
Getting It Wrong: How We Fail and What We Learn:
In community arts practice, brave and honest conversations about failure are an untapped resource.
By Nicole Garneau and Sanjit Sethi
(December 2009)
Good Work: Ethics and Community Cultural Development with Children and Youth:
"Good work" in community cultural development requires competence, justice/fairness, respect and shared authority & authorship.
By Stephani Etheridge Woodson
(October 2009)
Grass ROOTS Vanguard:
1982 article from Art in America, where the authors say "The neighborhood artist is the new vanguard."
By Don Adams and Arlene Goldbard
(August 2002)
Grassroots, Community-based Theater: A View of the Field and Its Context:
History, theory and examples of community-based theater from a CAN co-director and founding director of the Road Company.
By Robert H. Leonard
(December 2003)
Hallelujah North Carolina: From the Piedmont to the Blue Ridge - the Asheville residency:
Coverage of the Asheville, N.C., residency in the Liz Lerman Dance Exchange nationwide "Hallelujah" initiative, 1998-2002.
By Linda Frye Burnham
(January 2003)
Hallelujah North Carolina: From the Piedmont to the Blue Ridge - the Boone residency:
Coverage of the Boone, N.C., residency in the Liz Lerman Dance Exchange nationwide "Hallelujah" initiative, 1998-2002.
By Linda Frye Burnham
(January 2003)
Hallelujah North Carolina: From the Piedmont to the Blue Ridge - the Greensboro residency:
Coverage of the Greensboro, N.C., residency in the Liz Lerman Dance Exchange nationwide "Hallelujah" initiative, 1998-2002.
By Linda Frye Burnham
(January 2003)
Hallelujah North Carolina: From the Piedmont to the Blue Ridge - the Raleigh residency:
Coverage of the Raleigh, N.C., residency in the Liz Lerman Dance Exchange nationwide "Hallelujah" initiative, 1998-2002.
By Linda Frye Burnham
(January 2003)
Hallelujah/USA: Call and Response:
A few questions about the connection between art and faith, asked during the Liz Lerman Dance Exchange nationwide "Hallelujah" initiative, 1998-2002.
By John Borstel
(March 2003)
High Mass in the Church of Art: The "Hallelujah" Finale:
Coverage of the ten-day final gathering in College Park, Maryland, of the Liz Lerman Dance Exchange nationwide "Hallelujah" initiative, 1998-2002.
By Linda Frye Burnham
(March 2003)
Higher Ground: Informal Arts, Cultural Policy and the Evolving Role of Nonprofits:
With the rise of the creative class, prosumers, Pro-ams and Net-Geners, are our nonprofit cultural institutions becoming outdated?
By Tom Borrup
(July 2007)
INROADS: The Intersection of Art & Civic Dialogue:
Introduction to the use of civic dialogue in community development from the staff of the Animating Democracy Initiative.
By Andrea Assaf, Pam Korza and Barbara Schaffer-Bacon
(August 2002)
Ideology, Confrontation and Political Self-Awareness:
The artist puts forward an understanding of how ideologies are developed and maintained, and how the activist artist can recognize and address them. Published in High Performance #13, Vol. IV, No. 1, 1981.
By Adrian Piper
(September 2002)
Interposing on the Collective Culture through the Arts: A Case Study of One University Course:
What if artists merged discussions about formal aesthetics and the elements and principles of art/design with discussions about moral growth and public good? From Community Arts Perspectives, Vol. 1, No. 1.
By Rachel Marie-Crane Williams
(June 2008)
Laughing and Crying in An Age of Anxiety: An Interview with Liz Lerman:
A conversation about a Dance Exchange repertory piece responding to 9/11, "Anatomies and Epidemics," created during the company's nationwide "Hallelujah" initiative, 1998-2002.
By Linda Frye Burnham
(January 2003)
Listening for the Lexicon of Cultural Shift:
New language from old wisdom about community art as lived experience.
By Linda Frye Burnham
(May 2007)
Lyrical Expression, Critical Engagement, Transformative Action: An Introduction to Art and the Environment:
History and theory of the visual arts as they engage our natural and built environment -- from a noted eco-artist/scholar.
By Tim Collins
(June 2003)
Mapping the Field: Arts-Based Community Development:
Overview from the director of the Center for the Study of Art and Community.
By William Cleveland
(May 2002)
Meaning or McCalgary?:
Speech on meaning in public life, delivered to the Alberta Cultural Think Tank in Canada, February 21, 2002
By Maryo Gard Ewell
(March 2002)
Models for Working with Youth in Community Arts:
A comparison of the educative model and the youth development model.
By Stephani Etheridge Woodson
(September 2008)
Negotiations: Learning Hard Lessons:
Why all this talk about the need to negotiate community arts projects? A story about a project that had some unsettling results. Published in High Performance #64 ,Vol. XVI, No. 4, 1993.
By Robert H. Leonard
(October 2003)
Nine Eleven, Fear and Hand Me Down Shoes:
Review of "Hand Me Down Shoes" by Community Performance Inc. with the Mennonites in Newport News, Va.
By Linda Frye Burnham
(April 2002)
No Time for the Blues (Aesthetic):
From an issue of High Performance magazine by African-American artists examining the blues not just as music, but as painting, photography, fiction, politics, social condition and cultural force. High Performance #52, Vol. XIII, No. 4, 1990.
By Pearl Cleage
(September 2002)
Of the People, By the People, and For the People: The field of community performance:
An essay on the essential attributes of community-based theater, and by extension, community-based arts.
By Richard Owen Geer
(October 1999)
Of the People, By the People, and For the People: The field of community performance:
An essay on the essential attributes of community-based theater, and by extension, community-based arts. First published in High Performance #64, Vol. XVI, No. 4, 1993.
By Richard Owen Geer
(September 2002)
On Cultural Citizenship:
A commentary on artists participating the civic life of their communities. Published in High Performance #67, Vol. XVII, No. 3, 1994.
By John Killacky
(December 1999)
Overlaps, Intersections and Conflicts: An Introduction to Arts and Culture:
Ideas about the state of cultural democracy by a noted arts consultant and author.
By Arlene Goldbard
(March 2002)
Policy Research on Community Arts: A Collective Endeavor:
An overview of the policies and methods of research in community arts from the director of the Culture, Creativity and Communities Program at the Urban Institute.
By Maria-Rosario Jackson
(July 2002)
Postcards from the Community Arts Convening and Research Project, 2009-2010:
A final commentary on the yearlong project, its convening and its regional and national dialogues.
By Amalia Mesa-Bains
(March 2010)
Power and Mastery — Negotiations in Community-based Visual Art:
Overview of the intersection of visual art and communities from an experienced practitioner.
By Neill Bogan
(October 2003)
Principles of Working in a Community: Resources for Social Change:
The working philosophy of a mobile lab for arts and activism in the American South.
By Gwylene Gallimard and Hope Clark
(September 2008)
Public Art's Cultural Evolution:
Overview of the field of public art from the artistic director of Public Art Review.
By Jack Becker
(February 2002)
Rez CAP:
Across a thousand miles, two cultures, two communities come together: MICA and the Dakota Nation.
By John Peacock
(July 2008)
Richard Florida's High-class Glasses:
Was he wrong about "The Rise of the Creative Class"?
By Ann Daly
(October 2004)
Socially Engaged Art, Critics and Discontents: An Interview with Claire Bishop:
Is the aesthetic is being sacrificed on the altar of social change?
By Jennifer Roche
(July 2006)
Some Historical Threads of the Community Arts Story (and why they are important).:
A history of community arts by the former associate director of the Colorado Council on the Arts.
By Maryo Gard Ewell
(July 2002)
Something Different Is Stirring: DIY Culture in Silicon Valley:
A glimpse of our cultural future in one of the first truly global metropolitan regions.
By Tom Borrup
(April 2010)
Steelbound and Pouring the Sun: An artistic connection with a people's yearning:
Review of the Bethlehem, Pa., Steel Festival.
By Robert H. Leonard
(October 1999)
Structuring a Catalytic Arts Education Program: The Saturday Program at Cooper Union:
Student teachers run a powerful community program for teens in New York, founded by undergraduates in the 1960s. From Community Arts Perspectives, Vol. 1, No. 1.
By Karma Mayet Johnson
(June 2008)
Taking It to the Bank: Unlocking Community Cultural Assets:
Meditation on cultural connections to Hernando DeSoto's book "The Mystery of Capital: Why Capitalism Triumphs in the West and Fails Everywhere Else."
By Tom Borrup
(November 2003)
Teaching Museum Studies Through a Social-justice Lens:
A significant statement about the role of the contemporary museum in exploring and defining community values.
By Lila Staples
(December 2009)
Telling and Listening in Public: The Critical Discourse:
Essay about criticism in the field of community-based narrative performance work; part of "Connecting Californians: Finding the Art of Community Change" research project.
By Linda Frye Burnham
(February 2001)
Telling and Listening in Public: The Sustainability of Storytelling:
Essay addressing whether a community-based narrative performance project's "storytelling energy" can continue in a community after the project is competed, including interviews with prominent practitioners; part of "Connecting Californians: Finding the Art of Community Change" research project.
By Linda Frye Burnham
(February 2001)
The Art and Craft of Integrating “Social Justice Ally” Curriculum into Service-Learning:
Getting at the central problem of teaching community-based art practice to university students in the real world: privilege.
By Kate Collins
(September 2009)
The Art of Discussion: Defining Community Art Methodology:
Six strategies for success in making community art that addresses social issues.
By Rebecca Yenawine
(November 2009)
The Artist and Power:
An excerpt from research about artists as leaders.
By Anne Douglas and Chris Fremantle
(November 2007)
The Artmaker as Active Agent: Six Portraits:
Artist Susan Monagan explores the work of six individual community artists for her Cornell Masters thesis.
By Susan Monagan
(February 2006)
The CAN Report: The State of the Field of Community Cultural Development: Something New Emerges:
A report from the Community Arts Network Gathering, May 2004.
By Linda Frye Burnham, Steven Durland and Maryo Gard Ewell
(August 2004)
The Circle Is Already Listening: Littleglobe's Collaborative Creative Process:
A means to know one another, to witness one another and remove hierarchical and preconceived notions of the "other."
By Molly Sturges
(November 2008)
The Collaboration Among Youth, Organizers and Artists:
Working together on gang violence in Baltimore.
By Whitney Frazier
(September 2008)
The Community Cultural Development Field:
First chapter of Don Adams and Arlene Goldbard's "Creative Community: The Art of Cultural Development," book commissioned by Rockefeller Foundation in 2001.
By Don Adams and Arlene Goldbard
(August 2001)
The Cutting Edge Is Enormous: Liz Lerman and Richard Owen Geer:
Shedding some new light on the artist's job by looking at two of the most accomplished community-based artists in the U.S. Published in High Performance #67, Vol. XVII, No. 3, 1994.
By Linda Frye Burnham
(September 2002)
The Dynamism of Arts-service Organizations:
Introduction to the service organizations providing much of community arts' infrastructure -- by the former director of the National Association of Artists' Organizations.
By Roberto Bedoya
(January 2002)
The Flood of Possibilities: An Interview with Michelle Pearson:
A conversation with the project leader for the four North Carolina residencies of the Liz Lerman Dance Exchange's nationwide "Hallelujah" initiative, 1998-2002.
By Linda Frye Burnham
(January 2003)
The Funder's Tale:
An award-winning Canadian storyteller ponders his new job: community-arts grants officer.
By Dan Yashinsky
(June 2007)
The Importance of Self-Reflection for Community-based Educators:
Reflection and personal development as inherent components of the art-making process.
By Sheila K. Fox
(July 2008)
The Liberatory Critique:
Step by step, a critical pedagogy that nurtures the artist's unique voice in relationship to a broadly inclusive community of peoples, values, ideas and opinions.
By Ken Krafchek
(December 2009)
The Metrics Syndrome:
When they ask you for the metrics on community art, just say no.
By Arlene Goldbard
(October 2008)
The Pedagogy of Intangible Heritage: Los Cenzontles and Mexican Folk Music:
Cenzontles is more than an "arts services provider." It's a hub for cultural critique.
By Maribel Alvarez
(May 2006)
The Practices and Pedagogy of Pepón Osorio:
How risk and trust and hope for a reciprocal practice can bring communities to life and life to communities.
By Amalia Mesa-Bains and Pepn Osorio
(October 2008)
These are the times that try our Souls:
Keynote speech at Animating Democracy's 2003 National Exchange on Art & Civic Dialogue in Flint, Mich.
By Grace Lee Boggs
(November 2003)
Thinking Outside the Cubicle? Does the 501(c)(3) Box Stifle Creativity in the Dot-com Era?:
CAN reviews "There's Nothing Informal About It: Participatory Arts Within the Cultural Ecology of Silicon Valley," a new book by Maribel Alvarez.
By Tom Borrup
(February 2006)
Toward Asset-Based Community Cultural Development: A Journey Through the Disparate Worlds of Community Building:
Review of strategies in community building by artists, urban planners and community developers.
By Tom Borrup
(April 2003)
Toward a Process for Critical Response:
Early writing about the Critical Response Process now widely in use to critique artworks in process, developed by the author in collaboration with Alternate ROOTS.
By Liz Lerman
(October 2003)
Training and Partnerships in Rutgers’ Transcultural New Jersey Public Service Arts Program:
The service-learning and civic-engagement movement in higher education is increasingly challenging conventional academic culture.
By Linda Melamed and Isabel Nazario
(July 2008)
Up the Revolution:
Commentary on artists working in communities. Published in High Performance #38, Vol. X, No. 2, 1987.
By Linda Frye Burnham
(December 1999)
Viewpoint: Community Collaborative Arts:
Community art is an edgy collective experience with aesthetic qualities of its own. From Community Arts Perspectives, Vol. 1, No. 1.
By Johanna Poethig
(June 2008)
Walaalo! Diverse Ambitions in Community-based Arts:
A compendium of case studies looks at New WORLD Theater's collaboration with women of the Somali refugee community in western Massachusetts.
By Ayaan Agane
(September 2009)
Warts and All: The Partnership that Built a Community Arts Graduate Program:
Sometimes the most difficult partner relationships are the ones inside the institution.
By Nicole Garneau and Phyllis Johnson
(July 2008)
What Happens When the Revolution Doesn't Come?:
Commentary on struggles and difficulties of activism. First published in High Performance #71, Vol. XIX, No. 1, 1996.
By Keith Hennessy
(December 1999)
What's Revolutionary About Valuing Assets as a Strategy in Cultural Work?:
Some radical new insights on asset-based community building and its values.
By Tom Borrup
(September 2005)
When Seeing Is Not Believing: Community-based Arts and Criticism:
A dialogue about quality in community-based theater with the author and a mainstream critic friend.
By Jan Cohen-Cruz
(June 2002)
Whose Agenda Is It, Anyway? Documentary Burdens, Community Benefits:
History and theory of the documentary arts from the Center for Documentary Studies at Duke University.
By Lynn McKnight
(August 2003)
Why Not Football? The Politics of Youth Arts Programs in America:
Overview of community arts with young people: history, theory and personal perspective from the author of "Building the Code: Understanding Community-based Arts in America."
By Mat Schwarzman
(May 2002)
Writing Deeply: A Discussion with Three Writers:
Three writers about community arts discuss strategies for critical writing about individual artists or companies.
By Linda Frye Burnham, Jan Cohen-Cruz and Sonja Arsham Kuftinec
(June 2002)
[How] Does Activist Performance Work?:
Might theater, and the relationships it produces, be the site of social change?
By Sonja Arsham Kuftinec
(February 2008)
zAmya Theater Project: Toward an Intimacy of Social Change:
zAmya is a place where those who have experienced homelessness are placed front and center.
By Rachel Chaves
(February 2008)
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From the Archive...
" I have noticed that being at a 'bad' performance feels horrible in a way nothing else does. It can feel like you are personally being tortured. When a live performance is good, it has the potential to truly transform one forever."
—Marty Pottenger in
Making City Water Tunnel #3
Recent Links: Community Arts Criticism and Theory
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