A people's art history of the United States : 250 years of activist art and artists working in social justice movements

Inspired by the pathbreaking work of Howard Zinn, "A People's Art History of the United States" is propelled by a democratic vision of art, showing that art doesn't just belong within the confines of museums and archives. In fact, art is created every day in the street and all around us, and everyone deserves to be a part of it. Called "important" by renowned art critic Lucy Lippard, "A People's Art History of the United States" introduces us to key works of American radical art alongside dramatic retellings of the histories that inspired them. Richly illustrated with more than two hundred black-and-white images, this book by acclaimed artist and author Nicolas Lampert is the go-to resource for everyone who wants to know what activist art can and does do for our society. Spanning the abolitionist movement, early labor movements, women's suffrage, the civil rights movement, and up to the present antiglobalization movement and beyond, "A People's Art History of the United States" is a wonderful read as well as a brilliant toolkit for today's artists and activists to adapt past tactics to the present, utilizing art and media as a form of civil disobedience. "Most people outside of the art world view art as something that is foreign to their experiences and everyday lives. A People's Art History of the United States places art history squarely in the rough-and-tumble of politics, social struggles, and the fight for justice from the colonial era through the present day. Author and radical artist Nicolas Lampert combines historical sweep with detailed examinations of individual artists and works in a politically charged narrative that spans the conquest of the Americas, the American Revolution, slavery and abolition, western expansion, the suffragette movement and feminism, civil rights movements, environmental movements, LGBT movements, antiglobalization movements, contemporary antiwar movements, and beyond. A People's Art History of the United States introduces us to key works of American radical art alongside dramatic retellings of the histories that inspired them. Stylishly illustrated with over two hundred images, this book is nothing less than an alternative education for anyone interested in the powerful role that art plays in our society."-- Provided by publisher