1. Community Art & Social
Practice
Digital Journal 08

2. Does socially engaged art imply
partnership?
+
What does partnership mean to
you?
This week’s questions:

3. Let’s break it down...

4. Does socially engaged art
imply partnership?
Question 01

5. NOT NECESSARILY… BUT IT’S BETTER WHEN IT DOES
My short answer:

6. When thinking about socially engaged art, I
don’t think the production of the art or even
the process and implementation of it must
entail partnership.
Because art can be a reflective process and
a response to social topics, I think it can
engage people, viewers, and participants
without necessarily steering out of
partnership.

7. Example: Guerrilla art
It doesn’t require partnership to evoke
participation or engagement.

8. Bansky. His original works were largely produced in anonymity and
guerrilla style without public notification, yet still remained visually and
socially potent.

9. Shepard Fairey. Fairey produced the infamous “Hope” poster as a student
and individual art project in 2008 with the onset of Barack Obama’s
Presidential campaign.

10. These were socially engaging and
relevant with audiences, but they
originally initiated as individual works.

11. Here’s the “...but”

12. 1. I think that community art definitely
implies partnership.
2. Both community art and socially
engaged art can be more effective, potent,
and even long-standing when
partnerships are formed and capacity is
built.

13. Another look at the
guerrilla art example...

14. Bansky. Because of the popularity of his works and style, publics began
to seek Banksy to produce works in their communities. Sponsorships,
partnerships, and commissions from organizations, corporations, and
publishers also followed.

15. Shepard Fairey. As “Hope” became viral, partnerships led the artwork to
become the most iconic and widely distributed image and symbol of the
political scene of 2008 and beyond. Such support systems also helped Fairey
avoid being sued for the usage of Obama’s image.

16. What are your thoughts?
Do you think socially engaged art require
partnership?
Leave comments and ideas below.

17. What does partnership
mean to you?
Question 02

18. Partnership
My short answer:
Building and nurturing
relationships that will
effectively and essentially
contribute to the ideation,
creation, and/or
implementation of an
idea.
=

19. ● Defined roles & expectations
● Adequate and balanced
contributions and cooperation
from all parties
● Positive and healthy
relationship/chemistry between
partners (compatibility)
● Defined time period for partner
participation
● Delegation + not taking on more
than one can handle
These make partnerships awesome:
● Trust
● Mutual respect
● Common values/vision/mission
● Communication
● Shared outcomes
● Openness about strengths,
weaknesses, abilities, and
capacity
● Following through
● Keeping one’s word (honesty)
● Keeping track

20. What would you add?
What makes a partnership good to you?
Leave comments and ideas below.

21. Am I good at partnerships
in my practice?
Not the least bit...