SOCIAL STUDIES 101
A CARRIE MAE WEEMS PROJECT
RESIST COVID/TAKE 6!
African American, Latino, and Native American communities have been disproportionately impacted by the deadly virus, COVID-19. Through a public art campaign, we are promoting preventive measures and dispelling harmful falsehoods about COVID-19, while also paying homage to front-line and essential workers who have placed themselves in harm’s way. This artist-driven project is called RESIST COVID TAKE 6! The “TAKE 6” in the title refers to the recommended six feet of separation in social distancing.
The project, conceived by Carrie Mae Weems and Pierre Loving, brings together a diverse group of artists to project our voices in a way that underscores what’s possible and brings the general public into a conversation of heightened awareness of this problem. The goal is to better the communities in which we live.
“We’ve all been impacted by COVID-19. It’s an ecological health crisis of epic proportion—an international disaster. And yet we have indisputable evidence that people of color have been disproportionately impacted. The death tolls in these communities are staggering. This fact affords the nation an unprecedented opportunity to address the impact of social and economic inequality in real-time. Denial does not solve a problem.” —Carrie Mae Weems
Syracuse University Artist in Residence Carrie Mae Weems Launches Project Addressing the Impact of COVID-19 on Black, Latino and Native Communities
Artist Carrie Mae Weems Is Planning an Ambitious Campaign to Alert the World About How the Coronavirus Has Hurt Communities of Color
Carrie Mae Weems’ new public art project is a COVID PSA for POC communities
How artists connect with audiences from afar.
Carrie Mae Weems launches new public-facing art initiative to resist Covid-19
BILLBOARD PROJECT 2017
In the summer of 2017, Carrie Mae Weems with three emerging artists, Tanya Rice, Jo Shonalda Jackson, and Petra Szilagyi, embarked on a project to photograph those aspects of Syracuse which one is not likely to find in the city’s own promotional images. In these photographs, they captured the willfully unseen people and circumstances that constitute the reality of one of the United State’s most culturally rich, yet economically impoverished and divided cities. While these images are specific to the city of Syracuse, the circumstances they portray resonate throughout the country.
The culmination of their photographic project was a series of digital billboards on display in the city of Syracuse that featured their images and pieces of text written to speak to and about the city’s underserved populations.
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GRACE NOTES: REFLECTIONS FOR NOW
The thing that really struck me about the ways in which people have handled this tragedy, whether we are looking at the young people who have started Black Lives Matter or the President singing “Amazing Grace,” is we are continuing to ask for our humanity to be recognized. And at the same time offering the generosity of spirit even as our young men are being murdered. That’s kind of extraordinary and what really motivated the piece.
—Carrie Mae Weems
INSTITUTE OF SOUND AND STYLE
The Institute of Sound & Style is a summer program for young adults between the ages of 15 and 21. The program introduces participants to the work of illustrators, merchandisers, fashion photographers, and designers.
Each summer for our program we accept highly motivated students who have passion, skill, and appreciation for the arts.
Each participant receives a small weekly stipend and learns about the many career options within the fields of music and fashion—from album covers to videos to fashion design and everything in between.
Please support our projects by donating to Social Studies 101
Donate with PayPal
Your contribution is tax deductible.
You can also send a tax-deductible contribution to:
- Social Studies
- Carrie Mae Weems
- 501 W. Fayette Street, Studio 242
- Syracuse, NY 13204
Contact us at ssprojects101@gmail.com.