Hello Practice Puppies, Today we're digging into the intersection of art and politics. From pro-military propaganda (Uncle Sam wants you!) to ACT UP's "Silence=Death" poster campaign, art plays a crucial role in illustrating political ideas. On March 11, 2024 Mexico City-based artist Chavis Mármol dropped a nine-ton Olmec head onto a Tesla Model 3. There are amazing examples of artworks with explicit political messages, but paintings of flowers and animals are political too. Art represents culture. All art comes out of a political moment and reflects a political position, no matter what! History shows us that when one group wants political control over another group, the first thing they do is criminalize their cultural expression. For example, in 1937 the Nazi Party in Munich organized the Degenerate Art exhibition, presenting 740 confiscated works of art. The exhibition purported to demonstrate that modernist tendencies, such as abstraction, are the result of genetic inferiority and society’s moral decline. Right now, arts programs--including libraries and museums--are being de-funded and dismantled by governments at the the federal, state, and local levels (imagine that, fellow Oklahomans). This makes teaching art, making art, and sharing art into acts of political resistance. "Why Zines, Why Now?" from Julia Arredondo's Exploring Zines Workshop. Art is empowering. Creative practice teaches resilience--how to solve problems and deal with perceived failure. It nurtures imagination and encourages people to create alternatives. As artist Isreal Fransisco Haros Lopez says, "Without art, there is no resistance." So...should you be making political art? You already are, babes! We'll be back in 2 weeks. Until then, keep practicing! Isa and Dylan Unsubscribe | Manage your subscription Practice Practice, Oklahoma City, OK.