Art Advocado Arts Roundup: The Arts Go Gangnam Style

MoMA Staff go Gangnam Style in support of Chinese activist artist Ai Weiwei.
Via MoMA's Facebook page

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! Before your tryptophan-induced food coma sets in here are a few arts and advocacy links, from kids' artistic interpretations of the news to art world Gangnam Style.

•  If you keep up with art world news you may know about the plight of artist Ai Weiwei, an outspoken critic of the Chinese government's track record on human rights. Ai recently produced a video parody of Gangnam Style, the song by Korean pop star Psy that is currently taking over the world. Chiense authorities promptly removed the video from the internet, and now English sculptor Anish Kapoor is calling on the art world to create their own Gangnam Style videos in support of Ai and free speech. Some US museums, such as MoMA, Philadelphia Museum of Art, and LACMA have made videos as part of the campaign. "It had to be done," said Kapoor. "Yes, it is desperately silly, but what is the paradigm of the artist? The artist does stupid things with serious intent." You know what my feelings are on humor in advocacy, so of course I love this idea!

• I recently found out about Kids Draw the News and thought you might interested in this fun project coordinated by the New York Times' City Room blog. Every so often City Room will put out a call for drawings of a specific current event. Past topics have included Hurricane Sandy, traffic school for cyclists, and my personal favorite, Mitik the baby walrus (who recently arrived in my home borough of Brooklyn). The feature is open to kids under 12 and you don't have to be from the New York area to submit. It's fascinating see how kids interpret each news story - it demonstrates how art develops critical thinking  and analytical skills. And many of the drawings are an absolute hoot.

• The Arts Council of Great New Haven has a new program called "Reintegrate" that will grant $10,000 each to seven teams of artists and scientists based in Connecticut. The goal of the program is innovation through the synthesis of art and science - one of my favorite topics! Read more about some of the fascinating proposals at the Yale Daily News.

• This coming April cellist Yo-Yo Ma will give the Nancy Hanks Lecture at Arts Advocacy Day in Washington, DC. The Hanks lecture is the keynote of Arts Advocacy Day; past speakers include Alec Baldwin, Wynton Marsalis, and Arthur Schlesinger. (Arts Advocacy Day is April 8-9, 2013 - save the date!)

Happy Turkey Day!