[/caption]Art students and enthusiasts should take note of Artist as Citizen, an organization that is making a push to become more visible and involved on GWU’s campus this spring. The group asks art students to confront issues that impact American society and their own lives.
AAC was founded by Richard Reiss and Ian Umeda for art students who wanted to ask questions about society, but not in the way you might expect. They seek to momentarily not view the world through their artist lens but rather to ask questions about social issues from the standpoint of a typical citizen. The artists use their talents to express what they discovered.
Laura Westman, a GW senior and development intern at the organization, in transcribing and editing an interview, read about an individual named Odelia Englander who said, “I'm not naive in terms of, 'I can change the world.' But if I was able to readjust my own feelings, and contribute to even a small change in my way of living or thinking, and then you come into my environment, then there is something I can do, and I chose that way." Westman took the woman's thoughts to heart.
It was the first project Laura worked on for AAC. Called "The Realists," it was created by the photographer Rachel Feierman and was about the OneVoice movement in Israel and Palestine. Englander had a perspective that inspired Laura to describe the organization as having micro-effects on individuals with great potential to change the world.
Westman works with co-founder Richard Reiss, Westman was involved in creating channels through which students that do not consider themselves artists, but want to remain involved in the art world, can become part of AAC
Westman has been in contact with students and faculty at the Corcoran, and is currently working on opening up a dialogue with the Art Department here at GW.
Asked about the nature of the organization and how GW students can best participate, Westman said, “GW students are especially good at taking in information and assessing it, but if we could have more channels for output and exchange of ideas, I think it could really benefit us as a student body. We would be connected to other student bodies, and as individuals.”
Students who are interested in the organization can contact Westman directly at laura.westman@artistascitizen.org.
For more information: http://www.artistascitizen.com
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