Artists and Activists Stage Political Speak-Out at Whitney Museum on Inauguration Day 2016

On January 20, 2016, the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York City hosted a J20 event, organized by Occupy Museums and Megan Heuer, the Director of Public Programs and Public Engagement. Taking place in the Hess Family Theater, the event featured a mix of artists, writers, and activists responding to the presidential inauguration. Among the speakers, poet Pamela Sneed urged action with her piece 'Always Uprising,' while artist Martha Rosler expressed her shock by saying she felt 'thunderstruck by an orange comet.' Activist Alicia Boyd criticized ties between the Brooklyn Museum and real estate, and Kim Fraczek pushed for the Whitney to pull investments from fossil fuels. The gathering also included thought-provoking ideas from Avram Finkelstein and Dread Scott, who presented a poster that read, 'BY READING THIS, YOU AGREE TO OVERTHROW DICTATORS.' Laura Raicovich and Carin Kuoni emphasized the importance of political art at the start of the program. With a pay-what-you-wish entry fee, the event aimed to address the new administration through creative expression and calls for reform. Rosler ended with the bold statement, 'Thank you Whitney, fuck you Whitney,' underscoring the tension between museums and activist movements.