From Pablo Picasso’s “Guernica” to Kehinde Wiley’s “Rumors of War”, artists have spoken up against the injustices they see within the world and the cultures that they are part of. But for most artists, this heightened level of discussion will not be attainable. This should not stop us from believing that our voices and efforts are worthy. If desired, you can work within your community to address the issues you see hurting your community. Never for a moment think what you are doing is too small or insignificant to make an impact.
Let’s examine the story of @Lakey360, Joshua ‘Lakey’ Hinson. He is a chalk artist who creates stunning mandola installations on sidewalks in his hometown of Longview, Texas. Just 128 miles east of Dallas, Texas. His initial aim was to provide joyful and positive messages to people on their standard walks around town. He would use sidewalk chalk, a non-permanent material that elementary children use regularly to express themselves.
Even though this art would be washed away by rain or the casual bucket of water, the city tasked city maintenance staff to clean to power wash his art away. Once Hinson realized they were washing his art away, he wasn’t mad at all as it was just for fun. But he did realize a larger problem. They would wash away his art and leave the areas of filth, debris, and drug paraphernalia untouched. He saw bus stops and areas of higher foot traffic virtually untouched, next to the well cleaned areas where his art once lived.
To “assist” the city in cleaning up the areas the community expressed were dirty, he would draw his artwork in truly disgusting areas to prompt the city staff to clean up what should have been taken care of. He was met with resistance and was arrested for “encumbering a sidewalk” while making chalk art. This only brought more attention and acclaim to the work he is doing, further strengthening the support of his efforts and bringing light to how some cities operate and mismanage their time and money.
If the work you are doing is of value and you are bringing something positive to your community, stay strong and continue. His efforts remind me of Martin Luther King Jr.’s quote, “One has not only a legal but a moral responsibility to obey just laws. Conversely, one has a moral responsibility to disobey unjust laws. Any law that uplifts human personality is just.“