Politics for the People – Arts Speak Truth to Power

As we approach the primary elections in June, there’s an event happening in Boulder designed at engaging people in politics through the arts.  Politics for the People, Art Speaks Truth to Power happens at Madelife,  a community creative space in Boulder on Saturday June 2nd.

Kacia Benvenuto, with Madelife  says this is an opportunity to engage people politically on a different level.

“I think that art is a really important means of expression for people who may not normally have a voice, and I feel that art is an incredible vehicle for change and it’s also a great way of spurring debate, because it feels less aggressive in a way. When people utilize the arts to say what they want to say, I feel that that spurs more of a dialogue and at the same time it really engages people and creates community.”

Clay Rose, front-man for the Gasoline Lollipops who will be participating at Saturday’s event, says that traditionally artists have always had a role in political discourse.

“Well since the Renaissance period really, the musicians were the ones who carried the news around, and they carried the news of who were the kings and what were the wars that were on and what were the wars being fought about. And that tradition has been carried on and it’s taken on a new responsibility I think, in the ’60s with the folk movement. Bob Dylan and all them really took it to another level and were talking more about the injustices that were happening and giving a call to action.”

The event will include art stations, including group painting, collective prayer flag chain, postcards-to-Senate-and-Congress-representatives, open mic, music and dance.

Guest artists include Gasoline Lollipops front man Clay Rose, Demry Frankenheimer, Ami Dayan, Tania Henderson of Boulder Arts Work, and many more.

Politics for the People – Arts Speak Truth to Power event happens at Madelife, 2000 21^st street in Boulder from 6-8pm on Saturday June 2nd. Mark Williams who is on the Democratic primary ballot in the 2^nd Congressional District Race, will attend and other candidates have been invited.

The event is FREE to The Public. Appropriate for All Ages.

Listen to the full interview including an in-studio performance of the song Wake Me by Clay Rose:

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