In the history of art activism, art that has had the most power is that which was created by nonprofessional artists. But Art History classes fail to teach this kind of art, just as History classes largely fail to teach activism as a whole. As a result, many of us go through life thinking that people are powerless, and our current condition is unchangeable.

What is the best approach to a political system that consistently makes us feel voiceless and hopeless?

The "artist mind" (or what I know of it) is tailored to an activist way of life. Hopping fences to get the perfect picture, living meagerly until the greatness of their work is recognized, advocating for the attention of those with "power" – whether they are dealers, gallery owners, or politicians... artists see what is yet to exist, and have enough belief in themselves to make it happen.  

An artistic approach to politics is necessary. After all, that's what this "change" business is all about! Obama is talking about a government that is held accountable for their actions; ACP is talking about a political participation that goes beyond the polls once a year to ensure that citizens advocate for their mutual well-being. It is a future that we have a hard time seeing because it is so different from life as we know it. But with a little creativity, some idealism, and some passion, we can all make tomorrow a little bit better than today.

What does a creative approach to politics mean? Don't be passive. Go beyond choosing the politician whose beliefs are closest to your own—actually advocate for the beliefs you feel strongest about! Join a listserv for a cause you care about, and attend events. Write letters to local, national, and even international politicians when you feel that something needs to be addressed. We too often think that our voice doesn't matter- but politicians often have staff whose sole assignment is to read our letters, research whatever issue it focuses on, and relay it back to their boss.

And that's what our  TWISt is all about. The TWISt is YOUR VISION of society, which we add to a database of thousands of other TWISts to create a  "People's Platform"  of ideas and solutions that the people care about. The "People's Platform" is an important tool for the people, including politicians, to see what others are thinking and feeling. We can use this Platform to advocate locally and nationally: it is simply what the people want- without tricks, without agenda.

This is politics THE PEOPLE'S way—it's creative, it's hopeful, but most importantly, it's possible.

Last week I finally got around to watching "The Last King of Scotland."  While it was good, very good, it didn't quite live up to my expectations. Recent films such as this one have in most cases been a "call to arms;" Hollywood is increasingly being used to educate and move the American public to action. "Blood Diamond" ends like an episode of "Captain Planet:" here are some facts, here's what you can do to help. And the environmental movies ("An Inconvenient Truth" and "11th Hour," along with some less popular ones) and the food industry movies ("Super Size Me,"  "Fast Food Nation") do the same. "The Last King of Scotland" tells us a story, a story that is largely based on truth, but it is missing the "How you can help" section.

It was a little scary that I had expected so much of a blockbuster hit. "The Last King" is not intended to move people to action, it's just not that kind of movie. Which is okay. But because it was a movie about a crucial contemporary social issue, I assumed its aim was to educate people of an issue that most would know little about unless a movie tells them.

There is an idea in this country that the media has dumbed itself down to engage the American public. That the reason the news spends more time on celebrity gossip than politics is that we are just not intelligent enough to have any interest in "hard news." Regardless of the reason for this shift in the media, what is true is this: reading or watching the news today often provides us with a clear picture of celebrity relationships and a watered-down and sometimes biased picture of other current events.

Interestingly, this "dumbing down" idea has translated into a more intelligent Hollywood, while the news seems to be getting worse. Entertainment is considered to be one of the best ways of reaching the largest amount of people, and film production companies are buying into this idea.

Here lies the problem: do people take social action art seriously? Do people go to a gallery or a movie theater ready to learn and be moved to action, or do they go to look at pretty pictures or watch a nice movie?

I think that the reason social action art is so powerful is that element of surprise. This is art: it's not supposed to teach us or move us. But it does. Think about the beautiful images of the Rwandan genocide or the Vietnam bombings.  They are technically gorgeous, and they stun and educate us.

ACP is a part of the "arts activism" movement on a grassroots level: we have a high school program that lets students create their own vision of a better society,  and create a slogan regarding that vision. We make posters and stickers with these slogans on them, and give them to the students to distribute.  

For these forms of art to have an impact on society they must be catchy, direct and informative. The AIDS poster campaigns of the eighties, for example, enabled a great movement in AIDS education and activism. People could no longer be oblivious to the issue: it was in subways, billboards, magazines and newspapers. Silence=Death was the slogan for posters by those involved with Act Up, and it was a simple and powerful message, not to mention one with an easily definable course of action.

Art is accessible. Art is tangible. Art is reactionary, and art makes us react. So shouldn't art should be at the forefront of social change?

~~E.West