Artist's Strike, 1.13.2012

Date: Thu, Dec 15, 2011 at 10:35 PM
Subject: MAKE ART, NOT COMMERCE (Artist's Strike, 1.13.2012)
To: owsartiststrike@gmail.com

Dear friends,

We are writing to you in solidarity as working artists with information about an upcoming Artist's (or "Artist" or "Artists" or "Artists' ") Strike, a word we employ as both a noun and a verb. The strike, which was proposed at an Occupy Wall Street Poetry Collective meeting several weeks ago, will be held on January 13, 2012 in solidarity with the Occupy movement. This date happens to be a Friday the 13th as well as just a few days prior to OWS’s four-month birthday!

Contrary to the phrase's connotation, this Artist's Strike would be devoted to giving artists the chance to actually create and share art, which so many artists are unable to do in light of employment (and unemployment!) as adjunct instructors, copywriters and copyeditors, TV commercial composers/filmmakers/editors, Skittles ad designers, yoga teachers, and so forth. Thus, this day of action would be devoted to encouraging the making of art, not commerce.

We are in the process of drafting a schedule of events (eventually to be posted here: http://owsartiststrike.tumblr.com/) to be held on the 13th. Some ideas that have already been tossed around include a morning yoga class, a knit-in, a fashion show, a tea party, a public poetry workshop, a subway marching band extravaganza, live collaboration between creative working groups, an adjunct instructors' march, a general march…even gathering on street corners to sing breakup songs to banks and corporations!

If you're interested in heading up or teaming up on any of these types of actions or others (these are only suggestions, of course!), or if you know someone who is, please let us know. We'd love to compile a schedule of events, and include activities both in and outside of NYC. We’ve begun to reach out to friends and artists and other Occupies across the country and the globe, and though we didn’t initially intend to mobilize an international event, we’ve been happy to hear that there may be serious interest in this.

We’re hoping to use the next month not only to plan various activities, but also to get the word out, to get people excited about this day of action, which may be especially helpful, inspirationally-speaking, following the holiday season and just as the cold winter weather really begins.

Many (!) thanks for your time, and more information forthcoming.

best,
Claire & Gracie

P.S. Over the past few weeks, several people have voiced concerns about whether or not artists would/could actually take the day off of work for the strike. We realize that, in this economic climate, it may not be possible for everyone who wishes to strike from work. However, we have full confidence that those who feel compelled to strike will do so, and that we can develop several innovative, participatory activities for those individuals who cannot take time away from work, including lunch-hour flash rallies and online collaborative efforts. We also hope to plan events after regular business hours.

P.P.S. Please feel free to forward this email widely.