01: * Abandon online shopping carts of unsupportive businesses
Disrupt online sales metrics of corporations supporting oppression.
02: Art activism training
Workshops that equip participants with skills to create effective protest art and messaging.
03: Art cars
Vehicles transformed into mobile canvases of protest, satire, or empowerment.
04: Author events
Readings, discussions, and signings focused on books that challenge norms and inspire action.
05: Banned book events
Public readings, performances, or exhibits highlighting censored literature and the importance of free expression.
06: Banners
Large-scale fabric or paper signs designed for protests, rallies, and marches.
07: Blog posts
Written reflections, critiques, and calls to action published on digital platforms.
08: * Boost emerging artists on social media
Use platforms to amplify new voices in art activism.
09: Choreograph a flash mob dance
Publicly perform a coordinated dance to draw attention to social issues.
10: Classes
Skill-sharing sessions teaching resistance techniques through art, storytelling, or craft.
11: Create a public art installation
Develop an interactive piece encouraging community participation.
12: Create and share political memes
Spread visual satire and commentary through internet culture.
13: Create subversive cross-stitch art
Embroider resistance messages into traditionally “harmless” crafts.
14: * Creative crowd disruptions
Flash protests or coordinated actions that catch attention in unexpected ways.
15: Design wearable protest art
Make clothing or accessories with bold political messaging.
16: Digital art
Pixel-based creations, including GIFs, animations, and manipulated photography with activist themes.
17: Dramatic or comedic acts of civil disobedience
Theatrical resistance actions that blend humor with protest.
18: Engage in creative resistance using eggs
Symbolically use eggs in protest, especially around Easter.
This mural in Los Angeles’ Indian Alley is a collaboration between artists Jacque Fragua, Shepard Fairey and Aaron Huey. This is art activism. | Photo taken Aug. 28, 2024 by Emery Davis via Cronkite News
19: Film or video
Short or feature-length cinematic projects that tell stories of struggle, resistance, and hope.
20: Flash mobs
Sudden, highly coordinated group performances in public places to highlight a cause.
21: Flyer or sticker distributions
Low-cost, high-impact street-level messaging campaigns.
22: * Food art
Edible creations with symbolic meanings, political statements, or subversive undertones.
23: Graffiti
Politically charged street art, including tags, murals, and stencils.
24: Guerrilla art
Uncommissioned, often anonymous art installations or interventions in public spaces.
25: * Host a teach-in on social issues
Organize educational sessions to inform the public about social justice topics.
26: * Host an orange Kool-Aid protest party and die-in
Organize a symbolic event to protest misinformation or manipulation.
27: Improv
Unscripted, responsive performances that challenge authority and expose contradictions.
28: Interactive or immersive experiences
Audience-driven performances or installations requiring participation to uncover meaning.
29: Letters to the editor
Publicly shared personal perspectives advocating for change in local or national papers.
30: Murals
Large-scale, often collaborative paintings on buildings, walls, or streets conveying activist messages.
31: Newspaper opinion pieces
Written advocacy pieces in mainstream or alternative publications.
32: * Organize a letter-writing campaign
Rally people to write to policymakers about pressing issues.
33: Performance art
Experimental or conceptual acts meant to challenge perspectives and engage the audience directly.
34: Performances
Theatrical, musical, dance, or spoken word events with activist themes.
35: Pop-up exhibits or activities
Temporary artistic experiences that challenge norms and draw attention to issues.
36: Posters
Bold, high-contrast visuals with concise messages placed in strategic locations.
In March, 2025, singer-songwriter and activist Allison Russell released the single “Superlover.” Joining her in this plea for peace? The legendary Annie Lennox. Listen to this musical art activism.
37: * Post-performance talks
Discussions following an artistic event to deepen audience engagement with the issues presented.
38: Pro-democracy art
Creative projects advocating for democratic principles, fair elections, and civic participation.
39: Protest art
Any visual or performance-based creation designed to challenge authority, injustice, or systemic issues.
40: Public demonstrations with symbols (or cymbals)
Large-scale visual statements, sometimes accompanied by sound for greater impact.
41: Puppets
Hand, shadow, or large-scale puppetry performances used to express political or social messages.
42: Raves
Underground dance events infused with political messaging, visual art, and subversive themes.
43: Recorded or live music that gets a point across
Songs or compositions infused with themes of resistance, justice, and change.
44: * Rename a waste treatment facility road
Unofficially rename a road after a controversial figure to make a statement.
45: * Ribbon trees and rag bushes
Community-driven art installations where participants tie messages of resistance or hope.
46: * Ribbons and flags (any color but red!)
Symbolic fabric displays representing solidarity, remembrance, or resistance.
47: * “Silenced” sit-ins
Nonviolent protests where participants remain silent to emphasize censorship, oppression, or lost voices.
48: Social media posts
Digital activism through thought-provoking visuals, memes, and storytelling.
49: * Speakers
Individuals sharing personal stories, historical context, or calls to action in artistic or traditional settings.
50: * Speakers’ corners
Public spaces where activists, poets, and speakers engage audiences with raw, unfiltered messages.
51: * Start a guerrilla gardening project
Plant flowers or vegetables in neglected urban spaces.
52: Stencils, installations
Reproducible or three-dimensional artworks transforming everyday spaces into protest sites.
53: Story stones
Painted rocks placed in public with messages, symbols, or storytelling elements.
54: Streaming video
Online video content, including documentaries, vlogs, and live broadcasts advocating for change.
55: Street theater
Unannounced or semi-scripted performances in public places to provoke dialogue or action.
56: Subversive art
Works that undermine, challenge, or expose hidden power structures in society.
57: * Support museums over businesses undermining democracy
Spend money at cultural institutions instead of anti-democratic businesses.
58: * Symposia and webinars
Formal or informal discussions featuring artists, activists, and experts.
59: Temporary constructions
Short-term architectural or sculptural pieces drawing attention to specific issues.
60: Tribal and cultural ceremonies
Traditional or adapted indigenous rituals that reclaim identity, resistance, and heritage.
During the Great Depression, Seattle’s Negro Repertory Company was one of the few Black theatre companies in the United States. A Federal Theatre Project, shown here is a scene from the company’s 1936 production of “Stevedore.” At the play’s end, the Black characters build a barricade to protect themselves from white attackers. During one performance, as the “mobs drew nearer,” white audience members rushed to the stage to assist in barricade construction. This is art activism.
61: Typewriter rodeo
On-the-spot poetic responses to social and political topics typed in public spaces.
62: * Umbrella swarms
Mass gatherings of coordinated umbrellas used as symbols of resistance or to protect protesters.
63: Virtual reality experiences
Immersive digital environments that place participants inside social justice issues.
64: * Walking tours
Guided experiences that reveal hidden histories, activism sites, or suppressed narratives.
65: Wearable art
Clothing, accessories, or body modifications (paint, tattoos) that make a statement.
66: Yarn bombs
Knitted or crocheted messages or symbols placed in public spaces to beautify and provoke thought.
