Dedicated to clever and innovative trends of art and design in activism.

Every once in a while it is nice to see that the work we do is benefiting the causes we lend our time to. Jakob Nielsen recently posted a study of web usability and the return on investment that government agencies and nonprofit organizations could see from better application of its principles.  In sum, the report finds that:

Although the gains don’t fall into traditional profit columns, there are clear arguments for improving usability of non-commercial websites and intranets. In one example, a state agency could get an ROI of 22,000% by fixing a basic usability problem.

Discuss (0)

The AIDS Action Committee of Massachusetts seeks an intern illustrator to create ~40 small pen and ink line drawings to accompany their new brochures on HIV-related topics.

This opportunity is a great way to build a portfolio and directly help people living with HIV maintain their health and well-being. The brochures will reach a wide and diverse audience of people living with HIV, their health providers, family and friends. The Illustrator will receive support and guidance from the two HIV Health Library staff, and will have the cost of materials reimbursed.

Qualifications: Experience drawing. Ability to take creative direction and meet deadlines. An interest in social action and health.

Length of Internship: 1 Semester
Hours per Week: ~10

Please send a statement of interest and resume to Japt@aac.org AND LBroockman@aac.org. Interview will include a presentation of any relevant past work.

Discuss (0)

Sister Mary Corita of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, born Frances Kent in 1918, is featured in CMYK Magazine’s latest number. She was an activist whose favored course of action was silkscreening, and a subversive who worked popular slogans and lyrics into designs, reclaiming and repurposing them for her cause. During the 1960s and until her death in 1986, she pursued her career in Los Angeles and Boston, designing bright, bold, pro-peace serigraphs, as well as billboards for Share, the International Walk for Hunger, Physicians for Social Responsibility and Amnesty International.

Buckminster Fuller described viewing her work as “among the most fundamentally inspiring experiences of my life.” You can find a list of current and upcoming exhibitions of her work at Corita.org.

Discuss (0)

On Thursday, December 20th, Talk Trash presents an Evening of Radical Puppet Theater featuring live music and the work of local puppetistas performing shows on local and global issues such as gentrification, environmental racism, immigration, workers rights and war.

The event is being held at the Lucy Parsons Center in the South End of Boston (549 Columbus Avenue.)

Discuss (0)

You might have noticed an addition to our “friends” section to the right recently. friendly/agitate is Jason Laning’s blog on the politics of art and culture. He recently turned us on to a handful of resources that are very worth passing on:

The Anti-Advertising Agency “co-opts the tools and structures used by the advertising and public relations industries. Our work calls into question the purpose and effects of advertising in public space. Through constructive parody and gentle humor our Agency’s campaigns will ask passers by to critically consider the role and strategies of today’s marketing media as well as alternatives for the public arena.”

The Just Seeds Cooperative, who have amazing and cheap political art for sale, as well as a promising blog.

Lastly, (Notes on) Politics, Theory & Photography is Jim Johnson’s blog on the aforementioned topics. You can gather the theme of his work there from the W.J.T. Mitchell quote that heads up every page: “What we need is a critique of visual culture that is alert to the power of images for good and evil and that is capable of discriminating the variety and historical specificity of their uses.”

Enjoy, and be sure to thank Jason on the way!

Discuss (1)