Art for Amnesty, an Amnesty International USA program using the power of art, music, and culture to support human rights and inspire people to act, is hosting its second annual event in downtown Los Angeles on December 7 through 11.
On Saturday, December 10 – 11, artists supporting Amnesty’s human rights work will create 12 original five’ by eight’ murals in the world famous Container Yard, a cultural arts space stretching more than an acre in the downtown arts district. Amnesty will also install a thought-provoking piece on the global refugee crisis, while Secret Walls—an organization known for high profile 90-minute live illustration battles—hosts a visual arts competition around freedom of expression. The competition will be judged by a panel of celebrated arts influencers, including Kevin Ma, founder of Hyperbeast.com.
In the days prior to the Container Yard pop-up, Art for Amnesty will work with Arts for LA and the Arts for Incarcerated Youth Network to install a human rights arts mural by artists and students and have an interactive conversation with the students at Central Juvenile Hall, a youth detention center in Los Angeles County. Amnesty will also partner with the Underground Museum to host a panel discussion on the role of the visual artists and others in the arts community in addressing global human rights issues.
“When artists and activists are committed to change, there is no limit to what can be accomplished. Art for Amnesty is raising awareness of human rights issues by bringing to light injustices that have long gone unrecognized,” said Margaret Huang, executive director of Amnesty International USA. “Together, we can celebrate artistic expression while inspiring activism around global human rights issues touching the lives of millions of people around the world.”
“Art has the distinctive power to bring people together and promote social change by compellingly telling the stories of those who have experienced human rights abuses,” said Marvin Bing, Art for Amnesty Creative Director. “This year and every year, Art for Amnesty is standing with human rights defenders across the world and in particular, with the individuals and communities highlighted in our 2016 Write for Rights campaign.”
Art for Rights is part of Amnesty’s Write for Rights campaign, which runs through December 31. Every year, hundreds of thousands of people worldwide write letters, emails, text messages, faxes and tweets on behalf of prisoners of conscience, human rights defenders and others at risk of human rights violations.
Last year’s inaugural Art for Rights event, a one-day, free pop-up art event, brought together Usher Raymond IV and over a dozen artists including Brandan "BMike" Odums, Danilo “El Sexto” Maldonado Machado, Hebru Brantley, Katie Yamasaki, Kristy Sandoval, Ricky Lee Gordon, and more to create pieces highlighting human rights cases.
For a schedule of events and to learn more about Art for Rights, go to http://write.amnestyusa.org/art/
To learn more about Art for Amnesty, go to: https://www.amnestyusa.org/about-us/art-for-amnesty