The Art and Culture Working Group
What We Do
This group leads our art actions in active campaigns. The Art and Culture Working Group also takes on other art or creative needs for SURJ, such as graphic design, signmaking, postcard making, posters, digital storytelling (audio/video/photography), artwork, music, forum theater, and cultural production that will further the cause of dismantling white supremacy. This group also plans and facilitates an ongoing series of community and creative skills building workshops called Make Art Make Justice, as needed for our campaigns. We also think about the culture of our SURJ chapter and how to keep it full of joy and soul and art. Check out the video below to get a sense of what we do.
The Art and Culture Working Group meets monthly, usually in person (depending on how much art making needs to happen during the meeting time). Email hello@surjsantaclaracounty.org if you are interested in learning more. You do NOT need to identify as an artist to join this working group.
This is a short sampling of some of the things we do in the Art Working Group. The music you hear was written by Melanie DeMore and taught to us by the Resistance Chorus of Silicon Valley at one of our Cover Charge for Justice events, an ongoing series of art skills and community building workshops that we use as a fundraiser for SURJ and our accountability partners. Please learn more about songwriter Melanie DeMore and about the Resistance Chorus:
https://twitter.com/justicechoirall/status/941067064789426182?lang=en
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9w22S8foSbk&index=4&list=PLug1maEKaeSlrE2zltWVcjbZHcOEjJjNv
https://www.svvoice.com/members-of-the-resistance-chorus-silicon-valley-sing-for-their-lives/
And the beautiful SURJ logo was designed by Liz Soehngen.
Thanks to a zinemaking Cover Charge for Justice and a mini-workshop in one of the general meetings, there is now a whole series of SURJ zines. Here is a link about how to fold the single sheet zine into the wallet-sized booklet: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XZ9Jw4HnJpw
Click the button for a downloadable version of each zine.
