Acts of Resistance Spring 2026: Introduction Post 1: Komal Das

Wednesday, January 21, 2026

Introduction Post 1: Komal Das

Hi everyone,

My name is Komal. I'm a BFA (Fine Arts) student at NJCU and a junior - transferred from Montclair State University, & currently shifting my focus to Graphic Design. I enjoy working on creative projects that combine design, storytelling, and strategy, and I’m always looking to improve my skills through hands-on learning. I’m excited to be part of this class and to learn alongside all of you this semester.
I recently interned (continuing) at PSEG (Public Service Enterprise Group) in the Visual Communications Department - with the Creative team, where I worked on strategy planning, real branding, motion and social media and DAM system projects. I love creating clean, impactful designs that tells a story ☺️

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PERFORMANCE INTERVENTION FINAL (DUE 4/22)

PROJECT Drawing on all of the readings, projects, methods and issues we have discussed in class, design a performance art activism project <intervention> that addresses "Utopia" or a dream of yours for a world you want/imagine. These projects can be elaborations or extensions of your midterm interventions but must be worthy of a FINAL presentation! Your art and activism projects must use the methods and ideas we learned in class of engaging an audience to raise awareness about your chosen topic. Your projects must be performed in the world outside of our class in some way and be available to a larger audience. Your project can use any medium or method to augment the performance: photography, video, painting, zine, interactive installation, podcast, music, event, a workshop or any other forms we have discussed. Find artists from our readings (or elsewhere) that help inspire your project and include them in your research. Revisit our class textbooks to push your project.

WRITTEN POST project description on blog ~600 words, 4 quotes from the class readings, ~3 inspirational artists/projects and 5 resources (articles, books, essays, etc.) that informed the project.

Create a written POST for your final project on the class blog that explains your project and includes a link (embedded) to the project. Prepare a succinct and exciting summary of the project that is clear and makes the class want to look further at your project and potentially share the project, promote it and even get involved in it. You must connect your project to the class readings and include 3 quotes from the class readings with citations. Explain how these ideas connect to or inspired your project.

In your writing summary please be sure to answer these questions:
*What is your project? Why you have chosen this topic and form of outreach?
*What is your message for the audience?
*How did you reach an audience (ie "publish" the project)? How did the audience engage with the project? What feedback have you received?
*How does this project fit into your professional aspirations and your portfolio?
*What artists or other projects have influenced or inspired your own project? List 4+ artists that connect with your project with brief explanations of why they connect or inspired your own project.
*What research has helped you inform this project? List 5+ resources that informed or inspired your project in a resource list at the end of your project summary.

PRESENTATION in person in class Be prepared to present your projects to the class in ~4 minute presentations in the classroom VA B25. You can also bring props and copies of your project to share with the students in class - if applicable. You can also re-create your performance in front of the class as your presentation! Remember you are ”pitching” the project to the class and presenting what you performed as an intervention already. Prepare a clear and exciting presentation. The presentations must be edited and functioning before class begins. Practice what you will say!

YOU MUST post several images (screen shots etc) and/or video on the project post. You can show these images as part of your presentation. Please include a link to your project if online, be sure it is public so it can be accessed from the blog. For those who create videos, you can choose what section of videos you will play (if longer than 3 minutes) to try to stick to the 3min time limit.

GO BIG! Get outside your comfort zone. Do the research. Be creative. Be bold. Think about what you are passionate about. Make it connect to your goals. Make it for you! Make it awesome!

WATCH:

Marina Abramovic at the Royal Academy https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3TOY7pIMbH8

_____________________

DUE WEDNESDAY 4/15

READ: Chapter 9 UTOPIA, from The Art of Activism, Your All-Purpose Guide to Making the Impossible Possible by Steve Duncombe and Steve Lambert

2 quotes and short response for each quote

FINAL IDEA (short) POST

Drawing on the performance you designed last week and the performances in class, brainstorm your idea for your FINAL intervention. Write a few sentences to share with the class about this idea. You can expand on your ideas so far and connect to your midterm or you can go in a new direction. Post your idea to the blog with your 2 quotes from chapter 9.

_________________________

DUE WEDNESDAY 4/8 ** NO CLASS MEETING on 4/1

READ: Chapter 4 CULTURE, from The Art of Activism, Your All-Purpose Guide to Making the Impossible Possible by Steve Duncombe and Steve Lambert
2 quotes and short response for each quote

Hispanic Executive | Interview with Shaun Leonardo - Performance, Pedagogy, and Philosophy
https://hispanicexecutive.com/shaun-leonardo/
2 quotes and a short response to each quote

WATCH:

Shaun Leonardo | art21

https://art21.org/watch/new-york-close-up/shaun-leonardo-the-freedom-to-move/

Diana Ocholla Art as Activism

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E1iPX3eO3EA&ab_channel=OpenGlobalRights

PERFORMANCE ART ACTIVISM POST 7

Choose a quote or artwork from the Chapter 4 reading that you found interesting. Using inspiration from the previous readings, the small instruction pieces that we wrote and performed in class and the videos of performance artists thus far, write a new short performance art piece. Write clear instructions of how this piece would be performed. What various steps does the performer do? Be clear and detailed. Be creative and bold! Note some of the performances we watched in the videos and performances you have seen or read about. Use these to inspire your piece. Describe your performance piece in detail and write a short script or instructions for the performance. How might the audience participate? Sketch or include images if these can be helpful. What issues does the performance address? Connect your performance back to your quote or artwork from the chapter.

Post your performance instructions and explanation to the blog with the 2 quotes/response from the reading assignment for Chapter 4, and the 2 quotes/response from the interview with Sean Leonardo. Be creative and bold! The performances can involve multiple people or just one performer. We will share the quotes and some of the performances in class. Be sure to post your assignment BEFORE CLASS on 4/8.

_________________________

+++Special event on campus to attend 3/19, 1:30-3pm hosted by FELA NJCU at EL CENTRO K102 touching on issues of immigration and our communities. See flyer above.

>>Reminder that you can still post previous assignments you have missed (for partial credit). Please email to let me know if you have posted any late assignments.

DUE WEDNESDAY 3/25

AMAZING WORK ON MIDTERM PROJECTS! Congratulations! So proud of the hard work and dedication so far. We will finish up the last few presentations on 3/25.

PERFORMANCE ART POST 6

Using the readings and videos below write a short description of performance art. Choose an example from the readings or the videos to help illustrate your answer. Add your quotes from the readings with your short responses to your post.

READ:

Performance art, an introduction by The Art Assignment and Dr. Virginia B. Spivey

https://smarthistory.org/performance-art-an-introduction/

2 quotes and a short response for each quote

Yoko Ono’s Art of Defiance | The New Yorker
https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2022/06/20/yoko-onos-art-of-defiance

2 quotes and a short response for each quote

Chapter 3 HISTORY, from The Art of Activism, Your All-Purpose Guide to Making the Impossible Possible by Steve Duncombe and Steve Lambert
2 quotes and a short response for each quote

WATCH:
An Introduction to Performance Art | TateShots
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Z-YZ3A4mdk&t=2s

The Case For Performance Art PBS Art Assignment https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EmMTKdUAokM

Artists:
Yoko Ono Who is Yoko Ono? | PBS Art Assignment
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KoU0E_ab36Q

Yoko Ono Student Project about Cut Piece
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TRgSmx84ELw

Yoko Ono Cut Piece performance (no commentary):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Sa1y-PAAzE

____________________

DUE WEDNESDAY 3/4 (presentations continued after Spring Break on 3/18)

MIDTERM INTERVENTION 1: In Real Life
(You have already begun presenting your ideas for this project in previous weeks - you can continue this idea or pivot if it is necessary, but you must complete your intervention before 3/4! See the instructions below)

Inspired by our readings from the Art and Activism textbook and the readings on art, photography and memes, videos we have watched, as well as the gallery exhibition we visited, think about a way that you can insert or use activism and art in your own communities that intersect with your professional journey. Choose an issue that you have been activated to participate in raising awareness. Look to current events for a clear example of something that needs to change. Choose something that you feel particularly passionate and knowledgable about. Think about a community you would like to create the intervention to support or motivate. Our own NJCU campus is a good start and should be considered as a good location for your intervention but you can create your intervention anywhere. Be sure to have research backing up your messages. What information do you want to share. Find other art projects that might help address your issue or use a strategy that you may want to use as well. This is part of your research.

Create an interactive installation, a physical poster(s) or painting, a wearable object, a series of flyers, a zine or a sculpture that acts as protest art. Use this object to engage in conversation/dialogue with others. Choose a place or an audience in which to SHARE your project. This is your intervention. Place your project in a public place, carry it as a sign of resistance and awareness, put it on your car, draw on the sidewalk, put it outside for others to read, etc. Record your intervention in a series of photos or in a video. Have a clear message and idea for how it will be seen by others. The project can also be interactive - as in an activity others can do with you or with your project. Test out your strategy. Show your results in the video/photos.

POST YOUR INTERVENTION ON THE BLOG:

-Take good video or images of your intervention and post it on the blog with a brief explanation of the project, your intentions and what happened when you engaged your audience (feedback).

-Write your full explanation of your project, your research and the message of your project. Connect your project to at least two art intervention or art projects you read about or found in your research. Use the readings to help you connect your intervention to the history of protest. Explain how your project works as an intervention. Include at least two quotes from the readings. You must include at least TWO images of your intervention in public.

~400+ words, 2+ quotes (with citation), 3+ images and/or video.

-Create a short (5 slides/3minutes!) presentation explaining your project that you will use to present your project to the class. Be sure to explain how you shared it as an intervention. Include your video/image documentation. You must include a summary of your project description and your research. Include a link to your presentation on the blog below your project post.

_____________________

DUE WEDNESDAY 2/25

HOME HERE GALLERY EXHIBITION SHORT ESSAY (POST 5)
Please visit the exhibition in Visual Arts Gallery and write a 3-5 paragraph review of the exhibition. Take notice of the title and curatorial narrative of the exhibition. Choose two artworks in particular to describe in detail that are inspiring or interesting to you. Take photos of the works and the gallery and include the photos in your post. In your review please specify the artist, title, and a description of the two artworks you chose and a few sentences about your connection and response to the artworks. Please answer the following questions and include 2 quotes from ANY of the class readings thus far to help answer these questions.

Why have you chosen these works to review? How might they be activist or interventions? How do they connect to your own artwork (if you make artwork) or your life? What is the curatorial narrative of the exhibition as far as you can see and read? Who are the artists in the exhibition?

Be sure to include:

Details about the 2 artworks that you chose from the exhibition artist, title and description

2+ images of the artwork in the exhibition

2+ quotes from any of the class readings so far

See information below about the exhibition and the artists for further research and details to help your essay.

HOME HERE is a site-specific installation that combines the work of 11 artists identifying as women living in Jersey City. Curated by alumna Lucy Rovetto (1991 BFA), the show will explore themes of history and memory. The installation will be designed as a continuous flow where works will overlap, interact, and sometimes have no clear boundaries.
The featured artists include Laia Cabrera, Nicole DeMaio, Isabelle Duverger, Jaz Graf, Katelyn Halpern, Jin Jung, Pat Lay, Tina Maneca, Cheryl R. Riley, Jennifer Roberts. The exhibition also honors the work of Ward Mount, a painter, sculptor, educator, and former chair of the Art Department at NJCU (then Jersey City State Teacher’s College) in the 1940s. Historian Martin Pierce will illuminate Ward Mount's contributions through his research.

Link to the catalogue pdf:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1MyQ8XgaM2hIWsOpvsCTT_MTAxp7Zypuu/view

Link to the instagram videos of the artists speaking about their work: https://www.instagram.com/njcugalleries/reels/

Next week we will discuss our intervention ideas and help finalize projects before midterm presentations are due. Please see the assignment below to continue thinking about your Midterm Intervention.

__________________________

DUE WEDNESDAY 2/18

READ:

1. Chapter 2 PROCESS from our textbook, in The Art of Activism: Your All-Purpose Guide to Making the Impossible Possible by Steve Duncombe and Steve Lambert

Choose 2 quotes and write short response for each quote

2. Towards a Curatorial Activism | Dr. Maura Reilly
https://www.maurareilly.com/pdf/essays/CIAFessay.pdf

Choose 2 quotes and write short response for each quote

CURATORIAL ACTIVISM AND INTERVENTION POST 4

Part 1 Questions: List your quotes and responses and answer the following questions. What is an art intervention? How can artists create messages for an audience that inspire change in a community? How can we use processes/habits to help design an art intervention strategy? What is curatorial activism? How can art spaces and exhibitions function to expand art activism?

Think about these roles from the reading:

Research Observer

Sketch Inventor

Evaluate Critic

Act Worker Bee

Part 2 Idea: Inspired by the readings and the artwork you selected for your post last week brainstorm a "problem" that you want to fix or issue you are passionate about. Research organizations in your community that are doing activist work. THINK about how you can connect your inspirations (artwork), your talents and your resources to design an art intervention that raises awareness and potentially a change in your community. Your intervention can be a sculpture or installation, a painting, an interactive or community made artwork/mural poster, a zine that will be made into many copies, it can be a series of posters or flyers, a video or piece of music that a group can watch, an activity you plan for others to participate, or many other things. Please use the coursework and art examples so far to inspire you but you can also do additional research. Write 1-2 paragraphs describing your possible art intervention, your artwork inspiration, the issue(s) you are focusing on and the idea(s) you have for how to make your art intervention. This is just a beginning on the path to creating an art intervention. Be bold and brave!

We will share these ideas in class and work together to help organize your ideas. Full details about your midterm project will be posted next week.

++Add an IMAGE or images of the inspirational artwork you chose and of any other sketches or inspiration for your project idea.

________________________

DUE WEDNESDAY 2/11

READINGS:
1. Read Chapter 1 from our textbook, The Art of Activism: Your All-Purpose Guide to Making the Impossible Possible by Steve Duncombe and Steve Lambert
Choose 2 quotes and write short response for each quote

2. An Introduction to Activist Art | The Collector | by Stefanie Graf
https://www.thecollector.com/introduction-to-activist-art/
Choose 2 quotes and write short response for each quote

3. The 25 Most Influential Works of American Protest Art Since World War II
The New York Times Style Magazine
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/15/t-magazine/most-influential-protest-art.html
Choose 2 quotes and write short response for each quote

*PLEASE GET ACCESS TO A DIGITAL SUBSCRIPTION FOR NYTIMES (either free/student access or $1 a week) if you REALLY cannot access the NYTimes article above please read this one below instead.

(alternative for article #3)
Artists Using Their Creativity to Drive Activism | Global Citizen
https://www.globalcitizen.org/en/content/artists-activists-using-creativity-for-change/
2 quotes and short response

WHAT IS ART ACTIVISM? POST 3
Part 1- Activism in community. List the 3 examples of activism in your community we discussed in class. You can choose what you define as your community. (your university, your neighborhood, town, state.)

Part 2 - Defining art activism. What is Art Activism? Use the Chapter 1 reading from The Art of Activism textbook and the articles linked above to complete the assignment: Choose one artwork from the readings. Research the artwork and explain who, what and why the work is an example of art activism. Include an image and information about this artwork in your short response on the blog.

Part 3: Add your quotes from the readings to your blog post. Use your quotes to help explain your chosen artwork.

WATCH:
What Do Art and Activism Have in Common? | Felicia Henry, Behind the Walls | TEDx
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GaTNC66txFw&ab_channel=TEDxTalks

________________________

DUE WEDNESDAY 2/4

GROUP MEME ASSIGNMENT: 3 names (DUE IN CLASS)

Drawing on your own meme assignments work as a group to discuss the themes and ideas from our readings so far and share new connections and insights into popular culture and criticism. Use bell hooks writing as inspiration to create two memes "in community" as a group. Create one that is critical and one that is hopeful or provides or describes a potential solution to a problem you are addressing or discussing. Use this time to connect with each other and create an artwork in the form of a meme taht you can share in order to raise awareness. This is a first step in "stepping off the curb".

Please create ONE POST on the blog for the group with both of your memes and a short description of each meme to the blog.

READING DUE:

Read about memes at: https://www.knowwhatimeme.org/

this will help you in creating your meme for the post.

AND

Read Chapter 1 from our textbook, The Art of Activism: Your All-Purpose Guide to Making the Impossible Possible by Steve Duncombe and Steve Lambert
2 quotes and a short response for discussion in class (this will inform your next assignment)

MEME AS RESISTANCE POST 2 (new post with the title Meme as Resistance _ your name)
How can memes act as a form of resistance and advocacy?

Use the articles from last week to think about a response to this question. Create one meme (an image inspired by memes using popular culture and text) that references the bell hooks reading and issues that come up for you from that reading. Your meme can express a complaint, a call to action and/or advocacy for real political change. The image you create will look like a meme but does not need to go viral as a rule. Use this short post to make an argument for memes as a form or part of resistance.

Part 1- How can memes act as a form of resistance and advocacy? Post the meme you made (more than 1 is ok too!) with a short description of its message and 1-2 paragraphs explaining how memes can function as part of protest and resistance in our lives. You can use your quotes and responses from the articles in your explanation.

2- What is patriarchy? Below your meme post a definition of patriarchy (from the bell hooks reading). Explain how interlinked systems of power (white supremacy, capitalism and patriarchy) can influence/dictate our lives and our culture. Watch this clip of bell hooks speaking about these terms in her writing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sUpY8PZlgV8

(optional) 3- Post your 2 quotes and short response from the Chapter 1 reading (this will be due in the following post assignment)

_____________________

DUE WEDNESDAY 1/27

READINGS DUE: Choose 2 quotes from each reading below (6 quotes total for the three readings) and write a short reaction/response to each quote

1- Understanding Patriarchy by bell hooks (linked below and available as a pdf on Blackboard)

https://archive.org/details/UnderstandingPatriarchy

2 quotes and short response

2- What Memes Owe to Art History | Artsy https://www.artsy.net/article/artsy-editorial-memes-owe-art-history

2 quotes and short response

3- Memes Are Our Generation's Protest Art | VICE https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/mbzxa3/memes-are-our-generations-protest-art

2 quotes and short response

WATCH:

The Case for Political Art | PBS Art Assignment

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RfXad3HVox4

Art As Activism: Statements of Democracy | Untold History

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n6jDZaREk74&ab_channel=UntoldHistory

Guerrilla Girls – 'You Have to Question What You See' | Artist Interview | TateShots

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8uKg7hb2yoo

Complain creatively. | The Guerrilla Girls | The Art Assignment | PBS Digital Studios https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5i5cEhd6Vt8

INTRODUCTION POST 1 (publish on the blog):

Part 1 Introduce yourself and any connection to art and activism: Who are you? Are you an artist or activist? What are you studying? What are you passionate about? Share a short description of yourself, your ambitions, and your artistic adventures. Post it to the blog. Be sure to share any art, design, social justice, political causes and creative practices that you may already be exploring that might connect to the class. Include one selfie or other photograph or artwork (you made) or admire.

+Political Art+ Please add one artwork or artist that you find inspiring that you consider to be activist or political in some way. Add one image and a sentence or two about why you chose this artist or artwork

Part 2 Reading Response: Add the 6 quotes and responses from the assigned readings to your blog post below your introduction.

GET THE BOOKS *They are available in Biblio in BB as ebooks*

The Art of Activism, Your All-Purpose Guide to Making the Impossible Possible by Steve Duncombe and Steve Lambert, OR Books, New York 2021

This Is What I Know About Art by Kimberly Drew, Penguin Workshop, New York 2020

_____________________

RESOURCES/LINKS

Actipedia Creative tactics that help bring about change.

https://actipedia.org

Art 21 short art profiles

https://art21.org/watch/

Center for Artistic Activism C4AA helps people use their creativity and culture to effect power.

https://c4aa.org

Guerrilla Girls anonymous artist activists
https://www.guerrillagirls.com

_________________________

LINK TO SYLLABUS

The course material and discussions can often be provocative and challenging. We must therefore be careful to be respectful of each other and of our viewpoints.

Discussion guidelines We must come to class prepared and ready to discuss the readings. Please keep discussions focused on the readings and class materials and keep examples rlevant and appropriate. If you have not done the readings you are not to participate in the discussion.

Wednesday, January 21, 2026

Introduction Post 1: Komal Das

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Post 8: The Final Idea