Maker Monday: Graffiti and Democracy

Binational Centers like the one I teach at are asked by the U.S. Embassy to participate in a few important events each year, one of them being International Day of Democracy on September 15th. This year, we were given some ideas by the hugely influential Casa Thomas Jefferson in Brasilia, an outstanding leader in the maker movement. I'll share how one of their ideas played out in our community, uniting people to bring something meaningful into existence.

In addition to being the birthplace of democracy, it is believed that ancient Greece was also the birthplace of graffiti as a way for ordinary citizens to voice their desires and complaints in a public space. I love how our maker space wall can be a place for that, as well, and our TED-Ed Club loves making their mark there.

We really wanted to get students' hands on some actual spray paint, though, and when our graffiti workshop didn't fill up, we found the perfect set of makers in one of our conversation classes. Their teacher, Davi, got the conversation started with some culturally-relevant political cartoons, and they dove deep into a discussion about corruption, a heavy topic here.

I waited for them in the maker space, where we had set up a large piece of paper on the wall. An artist from the TED-Ed Club decided to join in this adventure, and she started sketching and practicing with the spray paint on scrap paper. As a mist of color brashly covered the paper, she giddily exclaimed that she now understood the appeal of this medium.

When the group arrived, we connected their discussion to the International Day of Democracy, and to the tradition of graffiti in ancient and modern times. We took a look at some images of graffiti made in Greece during the crisis with the European Union, and also took a quick glance at some images of artistic graffiti in São Paulo.

No one in this group had ever touched a can of spray paint before, and, perhaps with the exception of the artist from the TED-Ed Club, few considered themselves especially creative. And yet, they were given the challenge to create an image speaking their thoughts, with the theme of "street art against corruption."

Students were also given the option to use a web app to create their own political cartoon, and to contribute their own thoughts to the wall in liquid chalk. A small group broke off to work on the cartoon, while some students started warming up by writing on the wall with the chalk pens, and everyone else started brainstorming what could be done with the spray paint and the large sheet of paper.

I think someone was inspired by the justice scale from World Press Freedom Day this past April, which is still sitting in our maker space filled with scrolls of facts and opinions. A few students spoke and sketched out their ideas, and, slowly, we had the beginnings of an image that everyone agreed on. I coaxed the shy folks who had made a quick sketch to share it, asked some guiding questions to the group, and encouraged the artist to make a pencil sketch on the large sheet of paper of the idea. Davi coached and cheered everyone on from the sidelines.

It's a delicate thing, getting a diverse group of people to collaborate on something creative, especially when people who don't consider themselves to be creative often shut down and back away from a risky challenge. It's also intimidating to draw in front of a group of people (I know this from experience as a caricature artist!), and I did my best to make the space welcoming to all, keeping in mind what I had learned as a volunteer at Soccer Nights about simultaneously being a good party host and a good party guest.

Folks without drawing skills were invited to fill in the background with the mutually-agreed upon color of red. Others, with moderate skills, made the black outline of the justice scale, which someone else had filled in with gold. And others, who didn't want to touch the paint, searched for useful images on their phones and contributed ideas. It was decided that I should be the one to draw the hanging figure, symbolizing the suffering of ordinary people at the hands of injustice and greed. All in all, it was a group effort, every step being decided together, with guiding prompts along the way.

Photo by Davi Naves

Photo by Davi Naves

Amazingly, in about an hour, this group had come up with two potent visuals expressing their thoughts--one on the wall, and one on the computer. What impressed me even more was how this group came together as unlikely collaborators. Undoubtedly, there are differing political views among these folks, some I would passionately disagree with. But, what we all agreed on that evening was that corruption and injustice are unacceptable, and that the voice of the people is important and must be spoken freely.

Stirring up a conversation about corruption, a loaded buzzword in the current distressing, divisive election here, and inviting a diverse group of people to do something creative is risky business. And yet, maybe because it involved art, I felt completely in my element guiding the process. The most important thing created that night was not the actual painting, but the soft skills developed during the process. The ability to collaborate and problem-solve with people of different backgrounds and opinions is essential today, as is the ability to take a deep, critical look at ourselves.

In an age where democracy truly hangs in the balance, and the forces of hate and injustice seem so pervasive and emboldened, one thing we can do is make makers. I hope this simple act, the discussions that surrounded it, and the resources that were shared, all stand as firm reminders that we are all makers. Our hands and our voices make our community and our society what it is, for better or for worse. Let's cherish our freedom, fight for it, and stand up for those who find themselves excluded from it at the hands of injustice and greed. Democracy was made by daring makers; it will take a new generation of undaunted, resourceful, resolute makers to preserve it.