On October 28 we discussed the power of art to heal, create change, and take action at this moment in time. We featured the “You’ll Heal Tacoma” video of the public art project by Jessica Spring of the Public Art Reaching Community (PARC) program in Tacoma. Then heard from our panelists, as they shared what is inspiring them now and the challenges and opportunities for creating and presenting art during COVID-19. Panelists included:

• Cleo Barnett – Amplifier Executive Director
• Rachel Joshua – Violinist
• Elisheba Johnson – Co-Founder of Wa Na Wari Art Center
• Tori Kirihara – Artist and inclusion advocate

The event’s conversation will continue on the We Belong Here podcast hosted by Frank Nam, of Civic Commons.

Below you’ll find a link to the event video and our after-event Take Action Toolkit.

Missed the Live Event? Watch it Now:

Post Event Take Action Toolkit

Our partners and speakers came together to assemble a series of resources to help inspire you and help you take action to increase equity in education in your family, schools, communities, and beyond. You’ll find:

Cleo Barnett (she/her)
Executive Director, Amplifier

For the past decade, Cleo has worked internationally as an artist, producer, and curator, collaborating with renowned artists, city councils, movement leaders, global brands, and foundations to build public space interventions that explore the relationship between storytelling, community empowerment, and human rights. As the Executive Director of Amplifier, Cleo has spearheaded groundbreaking media experiments for the organization, including the iconic We The People campaign and education initiative We The Future. The result has been millions of iconic artworks distributed across the United States in collaboration with hundreds of renowned artists and social movements. Cleo holds an M.A. in Art and Public Policy from New York University, and a double B.A. in Political Science and International Business from the University of Auckland.

Rachel Joshua (she/her)
Classically-Trained Violinist

Rachel’s passion for classical music has driven her to reach out to others and share it with them. She’s enjoyed participating in the Bellevue Youth Symphony Orchestra and volunteering for the audition process and staffing summer camps. She met great coaches and teachers who encouraged me to teach and share my love of music with others and she taught violin lessons through most of high school. Rachel learned about the importance of community from music and it inspired her to be involved in other non-music-related activities like Super Science Day at Bellevue College, church activities and creating her own internship with other students. Rachel is a student at the University of Washington studying at the Foster School of Business and she plans to keep advocating for music in communities.

Elisheba Johnson (she/her)
Co-Founder of Wa Na Wari Art Center

Elisheba Johnson is a conceptual artist heavily influenced by the Fluxus movement and the accessibility of art experiences and objects. She sees art “taking the role of philosophy in the 21st century” and providing “the frame for discussing and solving our complex and important civic problems.” Johnson, who has a BFA from Cornish College of the Arts, was the owner of Faire Gallery Café, a multi-use art space that held art exhibitions, music shows, poetry readings and creative gatherings. Since 2013, Johnson has been at the Seattle Office of Arts & Culture where she is a public art project manager and works on capacity building initiatives.

In 2018, Johnson started a public art practice with her collaborator Kristen Ramirez. They believe in creating opportunities that bring equity, accessibility, relevance, and engagement to a community, and they believe that every project ought to begin with meaningful engagement with the people who occupy the place, whether through questionnaires, story-telling, historical research, or celebration. Elisheba is currently a member of the Americans for the Arts Emerging Leaders Network advisory council and has won four Americans for the Arts Public Art Year in Review Awards for her work.

Tori Kirihara (she/her)
Artist and Inclusion Advocate
Tori Kirihara is a Chinese/Japanese American artist and inclusion advocate from Seattle, Washington. Her paintings consist of portraits representing women, diversity, and pop culture. Tori is also the founder of The Feels, a platform for community-based art events, and Art Together, a youth arts initiative.