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Author: Aleena Gardezi

The Amplifier Foundation: “An Art Machine for Social Change”

Posted January 18, 2017

Aaron Huey, a National Geographic photographer, was working on a project on Oglala Lakota for seven years on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota.

He wanted to run a series of media experiments within the realm of journalism. He combined the tactics of street art, public art, celebrity culture and journalism in order to amplify the voices of social movements.

As a result, he launched The Amplifier Foundation, a visual media experiment dedicated to amplifying the voices of grassroots movements through art and community engagement.

And the Amplifier Foundation has done just that:

With 18 artists, 46,535 Wheat-paste posters distributed, 9788 free graphics downloaded, 201,233 shares and impressions and 79,260 stickers distributed, the foundation is continuing their work by focusing on the current political climate.

Currently, the foundation is working on two major projects, both around the election and presidency.

“We the People”:

The Amplifier Foundation launched a Kickstarter campaign:

“Eight years ago, the artist Shepard Fairey made the iconic image that captured a period of HOPE in America. Today we are in a very different moment, one that requires new images that reject the hate, fear, and open racism that were normalized during the 2016 presidential campaign. So on Inauguration Day, We the People will flood Washington, DC with NEW symbols of hope,” the page stated.

As a result, the art below, which was commissioned by the Amplifier Foundation, includes activist artists, including Shepard Fairey, Ernesto Yerena, and Jessica Sabogal. They have collaborated with photographers to create a series of images that capture the shared humanity of diverse America.

“Since this will be a highly militarized inauguration, we thought why not use the newspaper to spread our message,” Barnett told DIVERGE.

On Jan 18, the campaign ended successfully.

“Yesterday your contributions made crowdfunding history. In just 8 days, 22,840 Kickstarter backers raised $1,365,105 to become the most funded art campaign in crowdfunding history,” states the Kickstarter fundraising page. “Today our imagery and words about American identity and values are taking over the streets and the walls of this country.”

“Tomorrow, We The People art will run as full-page color ads in the New York Post, USA TODAY, and the Washington Post. On inauguration day, pick up that piece of history that you helped create and share it with your communities!”

On January 20th, the organization is asking everyone to take  copies of these newspapers, so that people across the capitol and across the country will be able to carry them into the streets, hang them in windows, or paste them on walls.

Women’s March on Washington:

In partnership with the Women’s March on Washington, the organization created an open call for art to arm those gathered with visual messaging to amplify the voice of this monumental grassroots movement.

Artwork was chosen on January 10, 2017 from an intersectional group of judges including Carmen Perez and Paola Mendoza from the Women’s March on Washington, Cleo Barnett from the Amplifier Foundation, independent artist Swoon, and Jess X. Snow and Favianna Rodriguez.

“Our original commitment was to print five graphics, we have now chosen eight graphics which are currently at our female owned and operated printers in Philadelphia,” explained Barnett.

The five selected posters are now available below free of charge as high resolution downloads, to be printed out by YOU!

A minimum of 30,000 posters and nine large-scale banners will be produced from this public call. Posters and banners will be made available free of charge to participants in the march in Washington, DC.

Additionally, the Amplifier Foundation has partnered with the Center on Contemporary Art in Seattle, Washington to showcase a larger series of this work, following the overwhelming support they witnessed.

“The exhibition, titled Hear Our Voice, will feature 50 not yet released artworks from the Women’s march submissions. Hear Our Voice opens on the 2nd of February and will tour nationally throughout 2017,” a statement explained.

The organization is also looking for volunteers to hand out art on the day of the march.

For those who want to show support towards the Amplifier Foundation’s work, the ask is simple.

“Download the artwork, print it out, and march in the street with it,” Barnett told DIVERGE. “That’s what this artwork is for- It’s to create a unifying voice between us.”

“The country is so divided right now, we should come together for the better,” she added.

Public distribution sites in Washington, DC are now online here and will have free artwork at each of these locations and special events. For those that aren’t in DC or unable to get to the distribution sites, they can download and print the images here.

“We can’t tell you how crucial and majorly appreciated your role in this effort is. Please carry this artwork through the streets, at your protests, hang in your windows and share with your community in public spaces,” the Amplifier Foundation stated.