After a long and eventful month for not only our artists, but especially for the entire world, our artists and team have been working ceaselessly to launch our second issue today, August 7th. A collection of visual arts, music, and writings will have been released, each focused around the theme “Never Going Back to Normal.”
This month’s theme is meant to reflect the current events happening in the world today and how they have affected the community. The theme encompasses the Black Lives Matter movement, Pride Month, COVID-19, climate change, fast fashion/racist brands, the Yemen humanitarian crisis, racist/sexist microaggressions, homelessness, police brutality, and every other issue/event that has recently been brought to the attention of American news.
Common things heard from people during these times include “I can’t wait until things go back to normal.” “Nothing feels normal right now.” “I wish I could just have a normal summer.” Realistically, it would be a mistake to go back to exactly how we were. Normal is never “coming back”, not with what we know now. With the uncertainty of what the future holds, many issues that were being ignored before the coronavirus pandemic have surfaced. Spotlighting these problems is what will create change for the better and turn away from what we view as normal.
Our artists have used their art to spotlight and bring attention to these issues, and show the world how art can speak louder than words. This month’s collection shows how teens like them see these issues as, and what effects they see coming to light as a result.
You can click here to view all of the amazing art in this month’s collection.