Prescott College in Arizona announced a new Social and Environmental Arts Practice MFA program this week. The program’s curriculum will focus on the intersection of art, social justice and community organizing.
Patrisse CullorsThe 48-credit online program will be led by Patrisse Cullors, co-founder of the Black Lives Matter Global Network and founder and chairperson of Reform L.A. Jails. Core classes will include “Art as Social & Environmental Practice,” “The Rise of Performance Art in the Fine Arts World” and “Studio Practice.” Students can also participate in a residency at The Crenshaw Dairy Mart, a studio in Los Angeles.
“Taking two of the most powerful tools we have for expression — community organizing and art…this is how we shatter the current political climate,” Cullors said in a statement. “Art is the gateway to our imagination. It forces us to bend the norms. I use art as a tool and as a compass towards greater freedom and liberation. When art is centered through politics we are able to transform the material conditions for those most impacted by harm and violence. This program is going to lift up artists who are ready to be shapeshifters we so desperately need.”
