Fall of Freedom Returns With Hundreds of Anti-Authoritarian Art Actions
The second edition of Fall of Freedom, an initiative focused on art and activism, is set to take place from October 2 to October 4, featuring a multitude of events nationwide, such as public art installations, concerts, and exhibitions. This initiative, spearheaded by artists Dread Scott, Jenny Polak, playwright Lynn Nottage, and writer-curator Laura Raicovich, builds on the success of its inaugural event last November. It aims to address the threats to arts and free expression during the Trump administration, highlighting concerns regarding the Kennedy Center and Smithsonian Institution. A key feature is Undersiege, showcasing monologues from more than 40 Black women and femmes, presented by the National Black Theatre and the Studio Museum in Harlem, alongside a one-man show about Jean-Michel Basquiat and a zine-making workshop in Little Rock.
Key facts
- Fall of Freedom's second edition runs October 2–4 with hundreds of events across the United States.
- Organizers include Dread Scott, Jenny Polak, Lynn Nottage, and Laura Raicovich.
- The inaugural edition took place last November, with a scaled-up round of events around May Day this year.
- Undersiege, conceived by Lynn Nottage and Dominique Morisseau, features monologues from over 40 Black women and femmes.
- The National Black Theatre and the Studio Museum in Harlem present Undersiege at the uptown museum on Friday, October 2.
- Other events include a Roger Guenveur Smith show on Jean-Michel Basquiat at the New York Theatre Workshop, a zine workshop in Little Rock, Arkansas, and a Kennedy Center convening in DC.
- The initiative cites Trump administration actions involving the Kennedy Center, Smithsonian Institution, and public artworks by Joel Shapiro and José de Rivera.
- Kris Grey, a transgender and nonbinary artist, wrote in Hyperallergic that creativity is a practice of resistance and art a survival strategy.
Entities
Artists
- Dread Scott
- Jenny Polak
- Lynn Nottage
- Laura Raicovich
- Dominique Morisseau
- Roger Guenveur Smith
- Jean-Michel Basquiat
- Joel Shapiro
- José de Rivera
- Kris Grey
- Roger Guenver Smith
Institutions
- Fall of Freedom
- Hyperallergic
- Kennedy Center
- Smithsonian Institution
- National Black Theatre
- Studio Museum in Harlem
- New York Theatre Workshop
- MacArthur Foundation
- Epilogue Books
Locations
- United States
- New York
- Harlem
- Little Rock
- Arkansas
- Washington, DC
- Chapel Hill
- North Carolina
- Philadelphia
- New York Public Library