Jason Lazarus Recreates Historic Protest Signs with the People of Miami
Tuesday, September 11, 2018
Jason Lazarus in August 2018 at A CENTURY OF DISSENT: MIAMI! Made with the residents of Miami. Photo by Nicole Combeau.
USF Assistant Professor of Art Jason Lazarus collaborates with the public to recreate historic protest signs in A CENTURY OF DISSENT: MIAMI! – a growing public archive hosted by arts organization Manna Contemporary Miami.
What began as a seven-week residency for Lazarus has expanded into a yearlong program that hosts free workshops for students of all ages at Manna Contemporary's downtown Miami location, 777 Mall.
A CENTURY OF DISSENT: MIAMI! held regular studio hours throughout July and August 2018. In the open studio space, Lazarus invited the public to search archives of protest signs used in the greater Miami area in the past hundred years.
Participants were able to select a sign that aligns with their social justice concerns and recreate it in the space. They also had the option to recreate one of their own signs used in Miami.
The unique makeup of Miami's citizenry, political affiliations, and social justice movements, especially in the current political climate, create a unique opportunity to create a physical archive that helps to synthesize structural problems that disproportionately affect immigrants, the poor, bodies of color, and LGBTQ communities to name a few.
About the Artist
Jason Lazarus is an artist, USF assistant professor of art and art history, and mentor of the Low Residency MFA Program at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Since 2003, his work has sought experiential forms and methods to grapple with the politics of representation. His work can be found at his website.