For centuries, creatives have used art as a form of expression and a vehicle for change.
In the late 19th century, poet Emily Dickinson wrote: “Hope is the thing with feathers – / That perches in the soul – / And sings the tune without words – / And never stops – at all.”
Throughout the 1980s, Keith Haring rose to global prominence for his simple yet outspoken drawings, which reflected on topics such as social change and LGBTQ+ rights.
Throughout history, unrest has been a catalyst for creation, and that’s happening right in our own backyard. Or, in local artist Karen Mobley’s case, the front yard.
Since last summer, Mobley has been asking the community to drop off old political campaign signs at her South Hill home, no matter the party affiliation. She then turns each yard sign into a unique, hand-painted work of art donning a singular peace sign.
“It was a response to my inability to really articulate what I was feeling about all of the big stuff,” Mobley says. “The situation in Gaza and all of that.”
Mobley says she often has big, complicated ideas, but the peace signs seemed simple and effective. She’s also been doing everything else citizens can to demand change: calling senators, showing up at events and volunteering for campaigns, but nothing felt concrete.
“One of the frustrating things about being politically active right now is that it feels very abstract,” she says. “So this project felt simple, but also introduced me to people whom I wouldn’t have met otherwise and brought me more friends through this little gifting economy it created.”
Mobley knows the peace signs won’t fix the problems our country is facing, but she says that if we move into the future with confidence, we can make a difference — one small step, and one peace sign, at a time.
“The way you get to peace is through learning about other people and recognizing their humanity,” she says.
Sometimes, making art in times of uncertainty isn’t easy.
Remelisa Cullitan, a queer biracial artist in Spokane, says they have found it hard to muster the energy to create these past couple of years.
“I’ve been trying to think of new potential projects to work on,” Cullitan says. “But they’re things I explored almost eight to 10 years ago, and here they come again back into relevance. It feels like the needle hasn’t moved at all. If anything, it feels like it’s backslid quite a bit, and that’s incredibly frustrating.”
During the Black Lives Matter movement in 2020, Cullitan lent their hand to Terrain’s Black Lives Matter mural (244 W. Main Ave.).
They’ve also created art related to issues like abortion and menstruation. The piece “Yoni Relics” features six different porcelain tampons dipped in liquid gold leaf. Cullitan says it was born out of the realization that tampons come in varying shapes, some that make sense and some that don’t.
Cullitan is hopeful they’ll get back to making art soon. They say the world needs artists right now.
“We live in a very patriarchal society driven hard by capitalism,” Cullitan says. “I constantly feel like my own perspective, my own voice, is never in the mix. That’s the thing I love about making artwork and displaying and sharing it with others. I get to share my perspective, but also start conversations with a stranger. That’s how change happens.” ♦
