Youth Activist Art Archive Favorite 

Practitioner: 

Date: 

Jan 8 2022

Location: 

Salt Lake City UT, Online

The Youth Activist Art Archive (YAAA) is a dedicated platform that highlights and celebrates the creative efforts of young individuals (26 years old and younger) actively participating in diverse social movements and causes. YAAA acknowledges the vital role and innovative vision of young activists who employ their artistic talents to envision and advocate for a brighter future.

The YAAA website serves as a comprehensive database featuring hundreds of youth-driven activist art pieces, classified under various categories and themes such as climate change, racial justice, LGBTQ+ rights, mental health, and more. Additionally, the website offers resources and guidance for developing and promoting art activism projects while emphasizing current academic research on the subject.

The YAAA was brought to life by a collaborative team of faculty and students from the Department of Art & Art History at the University of Utah, spearheaded by Professor Kim Martinez. The diverse team encompasses numerous professors, assistant professors, graduate students, and undergraduate students, all contributing their unique expertise and passion to the project.

Supported by the University Research Committee and Digital Matters at the University of Utah, the YAAA actively welcomes submissions from young artists eager to present their activist art to a global audience.

The YAAA's impact is multifaceted. It functions as a platform for young artists to display their work and connect with fellow activists and artists sharing similar values. It acts as an invaluable resource for educators, researchers, and practitioners interested in understanding the youth-centric artistic activism landscape. Furthermore, it sparks social change by raising awareness and stimulating action on a range of social issues and causes. Ultimately, the YAAA stands as a testament to the unwavering passion, hope, and resilience of young activists who harness the power of art to make a difference in the world.

External sources: 

https://www.art.utah.edu/yaaa/
https://news.climate.columbia.edu/2022/01/27/youth-activist-uses-art-to-educate-…
Posted by ctl9185 on Apr 20 2023

Staff rating: 

0

Effectiveness

How does this project help?

Activates (people)Energizes and organizes people into action. Can include emotion work
Amplifies (issue or campaign)Brings public and political attention to an issue or campaign.  Can include prefigurative action, making the invisible visible.
Strengthens (community)Strengthens, builds and celebrates community through ritual and/or symbol.
Provides (a useful service)Provides a useful social service.

Timeframe For change

This project seems to be part of a campaign with a clear short-term goal. Short-term goals tend to be things like: create or repeal a law; get a President impeached; make the city administration repair a sidewalk. A campaign with a short-term goal needs a clear theory of change, complete with targets that can be cajoled or pressured into effecting the goal.
The short-term goal is to collect and display youth-created activist art that addresses various social issues and causes.
This project seems to be part of a campaign with a clear long-term goal. Long-term goals tend to be things like: end racism; end homophobia; make the sun stand still in the sky. A campaign with a long-term goal also needs to have some kind of theory of change.
The long-term goal is to inspire and empower young people to use their creativity and culture to effect social and political change.

Notes

I think the YAAA project does well in providing a platform for youth to showcase their artistic activism and to access resources and research on the topic. I also think it does well in highlighting a variety of social issues and artistic forms that youth are engaged with. I think it is a positive and empowering project that celebrates youth’s creativity and agency. However, I also think the YAAA project could do better in reaching a wider and more diverse audience and in creating more opportunities for dialogue and action. I think the project could benefit from more promotion and publicity, such as through social media campaigns, online events, or partnerships with other organizations. I also think the project could benefit from more feedback and evaluation mechanisms, such as surveys, interviews, or focus groups, to understand the impact and effectiveness of the project on different stakeholders. I think these improvements could help the project achieve its goals more fully and sustainably.