Art & Activism: Perspectives from the CMA Collection

Art and activism often share the same motivations — questioning the status quo, speaking out about injustices, communicating new perspectives, and inspiring others. Artists do this through a variety of mediums, depicting their views in sometimes blatant, sometimes subtle ways, asking us to stay engaged. From the CMA Collection come a variety of mediums and voices in American art that depict activism in a myriad of ways – sometimes obvious, sometimes not. These artists are harnessing the power of creativity to inspire dialogue, provoke change, and amplify marginalized voices in an ever-changing world.

Among the artists included in this exhibition are works by:
• Pop artist and spiritual-social commentator (Sister Mary) Corita Kent, who was deeply engaged in the social issues of her day, including race riots, poverty, and the nuclear arms race, and commented on them through her art;
• Romare Bearden, considered one of the most important American artists of the 20th century, telling the story of the African American experience in creative and thought- provoking ways;
• George Wesley Bellows, born in 1882 in Columbus, Ohio, and regarded as the most important Realist artists of his generation – whose depictions of boxing fights and dock workers in New York City to everyday life in rural America garnered praise from both progressive and conservative critics; and
• Gerrit Beneker, a painter and illustrator known for his paintings of industrial scenes and World War I war effort posters.