05/27/2026
Last night, we closed out The Artist Must Take Sides: Culture & The Movement Past, Present & Future with our final Artist Salon: Taking Sides • Art in Action. Moderated by Rachel Domond and featuring Cleo Reed, Chris Meyers, and Carsie Blanton, the salon was a powerful conversation on the responsibility of artists in times of crisis and struggle. The evening brought together artists, organizers, educators, and community members committed to building a living culture rooted in solidarity, political commitment, and collective struggle.
Across the discussion, speakers reflected on the urgency of art that confronts empire, exploitation, and the billionaire agenda while envisioning and developing a new and better world. Together, in group discussions we explored the role of culture in movement-building, the relationship between art and political education, and what it means for artists to truly take sides in the fight for liberation.
Thank you to everyone who joined us in-person and virtually throughout this entire series, and to .fm for closing out the course with a vibrant final performance. We know that the conversation doesn’t end here — the work of building culture in service of people’s movements continues.
ℹ️ Keep an eye out for future artists salons, cultural programming, and more here at the People’s Forum. You can take the course back in its entirety by signing up at: peoplesforum.org/takesides!
