2020: The Year of Emerging Protest Art

"Peace and Justice 1963-2020" by Lisa Gilyard Rivers

It's definitely been one heck of a year. For some of us, this was the year of realizing the importance of verbally speaking up for what we believe in. For others, it was letting our hands take control and speak for themselves. Protest art, is what we call it. It's creative works and ideas produced by activists and driven by social movements. It's a powerful means of communication and allows citizens to be informed of the world we live in. Protest art ranges from public murals to sculptures, and even putting yourself out into the public. Let's take a look at some of the most influential protest art movements 2020 has given us.

George Floyd

Minneapolis artists Xena Goldman, Cadex Herrera, Greta McLain, Niko Alexander, and Pablo Hernandez drew this mural of Floyd on the outside wall of the store near where he was killed by the police. The work also features the names of several other African-Americans who died at the hands of law enforcement in recent memory.

BLM: "Stolen"

Brandon’s series, “stolen,” features Black people “who were robbed of their lives at the hands of the police.” The subjects range in age and are drawn in pencil and then finished with markers. What is most noticeable to the viewer is the partial renderings that illustrate the subject’s life. Brandon colors for one minute per year the subject was alive.

BLM Road Mural

A diverse group of Birmingham activist, artists and volunteers completed a street mural stating “Black Lives Matter” right in front of Railroad Park, the award-winning city park that was designed to bring Birmingham together for a future that looks different from our past.

Climate change: Greta Thunbreg

A mural of Greta Thunberg, an extremely young and sensational advocate for climate change is seen on the side of a building, in Bristol, Britain, February 27, made by Jody Thomas.

Marsha P. Johnson for the Pride March

The doodle, which shows Marsha in her colorful ensemble against a backdrop of the Pride colors, was illustrated by Los Angeles-based guest artist Rob Gilliam, and was made the LGBTQ+ rights activist and performer of Pride Month this year by Google.