A photographer next to Ron Mueck’s 2013 sculpture Couple Under an Umbrella. The piece captures intimacy and vulnerability, and the protective support artists seek when institutions fail, Public Domain Mark 1.0 Universal (CC0).

THE MUSICIANS OF BREMEN KNEW SOMETHING WE FORGOT

Why Artists Can’t Wait for Permission

The Retreat of Protection

Museums, orchestras, and theaters are scaling back risky programming. Grants for politically charged or socially critical work are shrinking. Traditional safety nets are failing.

Why Waiting is Dangerous

Artists who wait for institutions to protect them risk silence. Waiting is acquiescence. When authorities revoke permission, individuals must self-organize to survive.

Independent Alliances

Do not wait for Bremen. Build your own house with fellow artists. Your courage matters more than validation.

Randall White
Abbetuck

Next in this series:

• Standing on Each Other’s Backs: How Artists Build Power Together →

First in this series:

• Solidarity: The Musicians of Bremen Knew Something We Forgot →