18th Street Arts Tackles Political Issues

18th Street Arts Tackles Political Issues

As part of its mission to create a forum for civic engagement through the arts, 18th Street Arts Center presents ‘The Future of Nations,’ its 2008 season of exhibitions dedicated to examining the issues related to the 2008 presidential campaign. The series aims to address many issues that will determine the future of the country. Using the broad themes of the Constitution, demographics, environment and war, artists and curators will create a forum for the issues of our time while examining this country’s highly politicized demeanor. ‘The artists involved come from diverse political, religious, cultural and artistic backgrounds. This is not a monolithic group espousing a narrow political art agenda,’ says 18th Street Artistic Director Clayton Campbell. ‘Rather it is a group of humanists who care about the quality of life around us and feel their contributions are part of mainstream cultural and social conversations. ‘Everywhere I have been over the past three years, artists and curators have obsessively talked about the Bush administration, the Iraq war, immigration, abortion, all of the hot-button issues that directly affect our lives,’ says Campbell, who is a Palisades resident. ‘Yet not one arts organization or arts gallery was taking this on in a significant and sustained manner. There is a tremendous amount of caution and fear in the air. In response, 18th Street will provide an outlet for the unseen energy that artists have generated relative to the 2008 presidential election, and all it stands for.’ ‘Patriots Acts’ and ‘The Habeas Lounge,’ curated by Linda Pollack, the first in the series, is on display through March 21. The 18th Street Arts Center, 1639 18th Street, is an alternative contemporary art and artist residency center, supporting emerging to mid-career artists and arts organizations dedicated to issues of community, diversity, and social justice in contemporary.